Great March So Far

March started off pretty slow in terms of volume because of the end of wrestling season, but the last week or so has been great. I've started coming to terms a bit regarding volume & variance and I've been playing with a very clear head. Eliminating the looming dark cloud of needing poker for income has allowed me to really focus on following my gut in certain spots.

I'm also trying to mix in tournaments with smaller field sizes and better structures. This is helping me feel a bit more in control of my game and I'm enjoying playing post flop a lot more.

Here are some improvements I've made lately:

1. Looking for spots to 3bet 25-30bb stacks - I've made this something I'm consciously aware of, but I'm not forcing it either. I'm considering my options though.
2. Considering my cards last - I'm making myself practice getting logical, emotion free reps thinking through all situations. I'm also not relying on my HUD stats as much, but more on game flow first. I'm thinking "why did they do that?" first. Also, when I only have a couple of tables, I've been covering my cards. I'm not playing blind per se, but I'm thinking about the situation first. Sometimes I will force myself to play blind when it makes sense so that I don't talk myself out of it. Basically, I'm finally making thinking about the situation first a habit instead of just something I do when I'm in the zone.
3. Thinking about who is left to act behind me before I act
4. I'm really considering their logical hand range when deciding my line and decisions - this is resulting in good bet sizing, the right spots for aggression, etc.
   
5. I'm not defaulting to the "standard" play - I'm considering what may be standard for a situation, but I'm also not falling into the trap. While sometimes this can lead to over thinking, I've been trying to make the decision that feels right and remind myself not to over think it.
6. I'm focused on execution - I'm not thinking about external factors such as wanting or needing to go deep, the pressure for money, etc. I realize more and more that you can't put a lot of emotional stock in any one tournament. All you can do is focus on making good decisions. I've learned this before, but as I gain more experience the meaning becomes that much more clear.
   

Here are some things I need to work on:

1. 3 betting/squeezing aggressive early position raisers - not that it needs to happen all the time, but there are definitely profitable spots for doing this, especially from the button or cut-off. I still hesitate because of position and the "what if they have a real hand this time" factor.
2. 3 betting Ax - Very read dependent of course, but I often fold more than I need to with a hand like A7s vs. a button steal. Why Ax? Not because I think it's a great hand, but because I have an Ace blocker, it makes it less likely that they have an Ace and they have more hands that will fold to a 3 bet.
   
3. Stealing with trash - again, I don't need to force it but there are still spots where the stacks & players behind me say raising makes sense. At the same time, there have been spots where I raised the button with trash knowing that the situation/stacks were perfect for the small/big blind to re-steal and I needed to pick a better spot.
4. Calling overbets on the river - Most of the time I fold when it's obvious they have a big hand, but against donkey spewy aggro players I will sometimes hero call. It's usually when I have a bunch of tables up, so just need to think through the spot more and not worry about the other tables beeping.
   
5. I may also be missing calling/iso shoving some spots with A-mid when a shorter stack shoves. Example: A middle position player shoves 8bb and I'm on the button or in the cutoff with A8 or A9. I will often fold here because it's somewhat of a thin spot, but the reality is I'm still somewhat ingrained with habits from years ago where people didn't shove as wide as they do now.