Running horribly. Playing badly. Very, very, very frustrating. About to lose the star in sharkscope. Dropping down.
I've lost about $60, which if you're counting, is like 11 $5.50 SNGs. I have not cashed in the last about seven or eight of them. This SUUUCKS.
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Luck is turning against me
It's not actually true - I've still been getting lucky and having good hands hold. It just seems that way because the last few SNGs have not gone so great. I had a second, and third, and the rest were losses. Losing flips, really. The last one I bubbled hurt. I came back from the low stack and fought, fought, and fought, while the chipleaders were feeding the other low stack, finally to wake up with a real hand at 150/300 (with about a 2k stack), 88, shove UTG, and get called by KQ, and then lose. I don't think I can effectively raise in that spot without committing myself, so all in I think is the right play. Maybe, call pre then shove anything? Like the shove better.
Sufferred a horrible beat in my quest to make the 1 a day freeroll. Knew I wasn't going to have a ton of time to play at night, so I played CAP NLHE cash in the morning. It was happy hour and made like 3 points. Only to find out that the happy hour points don't count, and I was credited .95 points, which is .05 off what I needed to qualify. Fuuuuuuuuuck.
Sufferred a horrible beat in my quest to make the 1 a day freeroll. Knew I wasn't going to have a ton of time to play at night, so I played CAP NLHE cash in the morning. It was happy hour and made like 3 points. Only to find out that the happy hour points don't count, and I was credited .95 points, which is .05 off what I needed to qualify. Fuuuuuuuuuck.
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Finally flopped a set...
Full Tilt Poker Game #9609755399: $5 + $0.50 Sit & Go (73269411), Table 1 - 60/120 - No Limit Hold'em - 11:24:36 ET - 2008/12/21
Seat 1: jwraimee (4,459)
Seat 2: buddhasisters (2,641)
Seat 4: pochofer (2,175)
Seat 8: sickballer_3 (2,710)
Seat 9: actzeng (1,515)
jwraimee posts the small blind of 60
buddhasisters posts the big blind of 120
The button is in seat #9
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to actzeng [2c 2s]
pochofer folds
sickballer_3 folds
actzeng has 15 seconds left to act
actzeng raises to 360
jwraimee folds
buddhasisters raises to 600
actzeng calls 240
*** FLOP ***
[2d Tc 9h]buddhasisters bets 2,041, and is all in
actzeng calls 915, and is all in
buddhasisters shows [Kd Td]
actzeng shows [2c 2s]
Uncalled bet of 1,126 returned to buddhasisters
*** TURN *** [2d Tc 9h] [9c]
*** RIVER *** [2d Tc 9h 9c] [Ts]
buddhasisters shows a full house, Tens full of Nines
actzeng shows a full house, Twos full of Tens
buddhasisters wins the pot (3,090) with a full house, Tens full of Nines
actzeng stands up
*** SUMMARY ***Total pot 3,090 Rake 0Board: [2d Tc 9h 9c Ts]Seat 1: jwraimee (small blind) folded before the FlopSeat 2: buddhasisters (big blind) showed [Kd Td] and won (3,090) with a full house, Tens full of NinesSeat 4: pochofer didn't bet (folded)Seat 8: sickballer_3 didn't bet (folded)Seat 9: actzeng (button) showed [2c 2s] and lost with a full house, Twos full of Tens
Despite this, things have gone ok. Feel like I left money on the table, but I always do unless I win. I feel like I'm playing patiently, and making plays to give myself a chance to win. I haven't experienced a beat this sick in a while. I'm pissed.
Seat 1: jwraimee (4,459)
Seat 2: buddhasisters (2,641)
Seat 4: pochofer (2,175)
Seat 8: sickballer_3 (2,710)
Seat 9: actzeng (1,515)
jwraimee posts the small blind of 60
buddhasisters posts the big blind of 120
The button is in seat #9
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to actzeng [2c 2s]
pochofer folds
sickballer_3 folds
actzeng has 15 seconds left to act
actzeng raises to 360
jwraimee folds
buddhasisters raises to 600
actzeng calls 240
*** FLOP ***
[2d Tc 9h]buddhasisters bets 2,041, and is all in
actzeng calls 915, and is all in
buddhasisters shows [Kd Td]
actzeng shows [2c 2s]
Uncalled bet of 1,126 returned to buddhasisters
*** TURN *** [2d Tc 9h] [9c]
*** RIVER *** [2d Tc 9h 9c] [Ts]
buddhasisters shows a full house, Tens full of Nines
actzeng shows a full house, Twos full of Tens
buddhasisters wins the pot (3,090) with a full house, Tens full of Nines
actzeng stands up
*** SUMMARY ***Total pot 3,090 Rake 0Board: [2d Tc 9h 9c Ts]Seat 1: jwraimee (small blind) folded before the FlopSeat 2: buddhasisters (big blind) showed [Kd Td] and won (3,090) with a full house, Tens full of NinesSeat 4: pochofer didn't bet (folded)Seat 8: sickballer_3 didn't bet (folded)Seat 9: actzeng (button) showed [2c 2s] and lost with a full house, Twos full of Tens
Despite this, things have gone ok. Feel like I left money on the table, but I always do unless I win. I feel like I'm playing patiently, and making plays to give myself a chance to win. I haven't experienced a beat this sick in a while. I'm pissed.
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Moving up, but not as fast as I'd like.
A couple games of grinding tonight. Finished second in both of them. One was a bad beat, and the other, I got beat badly. The difference between second and first is so great though, I always feel like I've missed out.Again, at the risk of instigating the next downswing, it's been a good month. Sharkscope and BR are at an all time high. The $5 experiment seems to be working thus far, although I think it's due in part to the fact that I have been playing well. Doing things like flopping a set and just betting POT instead of moving all in, even though a flush draw is on the board. That, and being able to lay down marginal hands, especially early in the SNGs.
As I said, it's been a good month, although not the best. The graph is skewed because sharkscope just started covering MTTs, and I had that $92 win the other day. It, however, has the POTENTIAL to be the best month - which is all I can ask for - the opportunity to do well. Although, I was in this spot last June, and went on a wicked downswing.
I won't try to force things other than to just try to qualify for the one a day freeroll.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Poker not going great, but there are good things in life
Just losing flips, not anything really huge.
On another note - I kind of got a glimpse into what life would be like without friends and a person like my brother in my life. Kind of strange. When you're all grown and things seem to be "normal", you kind of forget what a strange and weird time growing up is. There are so many different things that you give consideration to when you're younger that just doesn't occur to you when you're older. Or is it the other way around?
Without any kind of real support system or anyone to show you a different way, you can get so lost in your own world that you can't fit in to the world around you. And that's hard enough - when you look different, sound different, your parents are different - basically, when you're different. Being an outsider is something that can consume you.
On another note - I kind of got a glimpse into what life would be like without friends and a person like my brother in my life. Kind of strange. When you're all grown and things seem to be "normal", you kind of forget what a strange and weird time growing up is. There are so many different things that you give consideration to when you're younger that just doesn't occur to you when you're older. Or is it the other way around?
Without any kind of real support system or anyone to show you a different way, you can get so lost in your own world that you can't fit in to the world around you. And that's hard enough - when you look different, sound different, your parents are different - basically, when you're different. Being an outsider is something that can consume you.
Monday, December 15, 2008
Running Well
And not running well also. I guess it's about even. The baby could not sleep without someone holding her through the night, and the wife was nice enough to let me take a nap yesterday evening, so the job was mine. I don't mind so much. At least I got in a few poker hands.
Yesterday's MTTs were kind of a debacle. I really didn't focus on them. There was that KQ hand, but there was also a hand I lost with AA vs. AK vs. TT when a T hit the flop. That would have sent me, but it was not to be. Just gotta dodge those bullets in that situation. Nothing else I could do.
I regret playing the early double. It's fun to mix it up, but when you just go completely card dead, you wonder why you put a relatively large amount of money in ($6) when you know you're negative EV.
Played three SNGs this morning, and it helped make up for the earlier losses. First game, I was the first one eliminated. I had QQ in mid pos, one or two limpers, and a big re-raiser all in out of the big blind. Generally, people holding AA or KK do not raise like this, opting more often to put in that middle-raise, where it puts the opponent to a decision push it all over the top or fold. I called, and did so correctly, as he turned over AJ. An ace on the flop sent me packing.
The next game, I nitted it up, and we were 4-5 handed for quite a long time. I hit some crucial hands at big moments - flopped a straight with rags, etc. Also won again with KQ to AK when I flopped the straight. It was a dogfight, but I ended up getting HU and getting QQ and AJ on back to back hands and took all the chips, even though I probably shouldn't have won.
The next game, I should have won, but lost. I had a spewtard on my left and we ended up getting HU. Official poker rankings is an ok guage on a player's ability, but isn't nearly as good as sharkscope with the precision. Official poker rankings had my opponent as a losing player, and, as is a pretty common trend (I'll get to this in a second), he played big and had some relatively big wins early on, and is now nitting up the $5-$10 games.
Anyways, with QT, I call a raise, and it comes down T high. I have a 2.5k chip advantage at this point. No doubt, the way we have been playing, I 100% have the best hand here. He bets the flop, leaving himself with about 3.5k, and I have to decide how much to bet.
I had check raised him several times in this exact situation about 2-3 times before (usually with top pair), but I had not pushed all in. I was confident about my hand, and confident about my read to think that this was the point I wanted to strangle him and get his frustration call. I was right. He called and flipped up KJ. Turn K, River, K. Next hand I get AK, he pushes QQ, and I miss, game over.
As I said before, a lot of the players I am now encountering, when I look them up on official poker rankings, have a very good history early on, but then just get banged on so hard that they end up dropping down to where I am. It is rare to find someone who is a winning player, according to their calculations. Although mine is modest, it is still on the winning side. I wonder if these guys get a $500 win early and then just decide that they belong in the $75 games. Then they hit a losing streak of 9 straight and it's all gone. It is interesting because OFP's first page is just the player's wins. You have to click on a tab to also display the losses. I mean, some guys have multiple, large three and sometimes four figure scores and do NOT have a profit to show for it!
I wonder if I belong in those games.
In total for the weekend, BR is up. Will consider perhaps moving to $10 games if I can run this up to $1k. That's still a long, long way away though.
Yesterday's MTTs were kind of a debacle. I really didn't focus on them. There was that KQ hand, but there was also a hand I lost with AA vs. AK vs. TT when a T hit the flop. That would have sent me, but it was not to be. Just gotta dodge those bullets in that situation. Nothing else I could do.
I regret playing the early double. It's fun to mix it up, but when you just go completely card dead, you wonder why you put a relatively large amount of money in ($6) when you know you're negative EV.
Played three SNGs this morning, and it helped make up for the earlier losses. First game, I was the first one eliminated. I had QQ in mid pos, one or two limpers, and a big re-raiser all in out of the big blind. Generally, people holding AA or KK do not raise like this, opting more often to put in that middle-raise, where it puts the opponent to a decision push it all over the top or fold. I called, and did so correctly, as he turned over AJ. An ace on the flop sent me packing.
The next game, I nitted it up, and we were 4-5 handed for quite a long time. I hit some crucial hands at big moments - flopped a straight with rags, etc. Also won again with KQ to AK when I flopped the straight. It was a dogfight, but I ended up getting HU and getting QQ and AJ on back to back hands and took all the chips, even though I probably shouldn't have won.
The next game, I should have won, but lost. I had a spewtard on my left and we ended up getting HU. Official poker rankings is an ok guage on a player's ability, but isn't nearly as good as sharkscope with the precision. Official poker rankings had my opponent as a losing player, and, as is a pretty common trend (I'll get to this in a second), he played big and had some relatively big wins early on, and is now nitting up the $5-$10 games.
Anyways, with QT, I call a raise, and it comes down T high. I have a 2.5k chip advantage at this point. No doubt, the way we have been playing, I 100% have the best hand here. He bets the flop, leaving himself with about 3.5k, and I have to decide how much to bet.
I had check raised him several times in this exact situation about 2-3 times before (usually with top pair), but I had not pushed all in. I was confident about my hand, and confident about my read to think that this was the point I wanted to strangle him and get his frustration call. I was right. He called and flipped up KJ. Turn K, River, K. Next hand I get AK, he pushes QQ, and I miss, game over.
As I said before, a lot of the players I am now encountering, when I look them up on official poker rankings, have a very good history early on, but then just get banged on so hard that they end up dropping down to where I am. It is rare to find someone who is a winning player, according to their calculations. Although mine is modest, it is still on the winning side. I wonder if these guys get a $500 win early and then just decide that they belong in the $75 games. Then they hit a losing streak of 9 straight and it's all gone. It is interesting because OFP's first page is just the player's wins. You have to click on a tab to also display the losses. I mean, some guys have multiple, large three and sometimes four figure scores and do NOT have a profit to show for it!
I wonder if I belong in those games.
In total for the weekend, BR is up. Will consider perhaps moving to $10 games if I can run this up to $1k. That's still a long, long way away though.
Sunday, December 14, 2008
I am playing so well
Full Tilt Poker Game #9493212890: $1 Tournament (72338336), Table 30 - 20/40 - No Limit Hold'em - 16:30:34 ET - 2008/12/14
Seat 1: performer8 (4,013)
Seat 2: chadrock78 (2,890)
Seat 3: paulwat (1,225)
Seat 4: laguna creek (2,487)
Seat 5: Evesuvio (2,665)
Seat 6: Sonora Slew (2,120)
Seat 7: actzeng (1,425)
Seat 8: beat me 61 (1,690)
Seat 9: Kazama_Jin1708 (2,270)
Evesuvio posts the small blind of 20
Sonora Slew posts the big blind of 40
The button is in seat #4
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to actzeng [Kh Qh]
actzeng calls 40
beat me 61 folds
Kazama_Jin1708 calls 40
performer8 calls 40
chadrock78 folds
Sonora Slew is feeling happy
paulwat raises to 280
laguna creek folds
Evesuvio folds
Sonora Slew folds
actzeng calls 240
Kazama_Jin1708 folds
performer8 raises to 4,013, and is all in
paulwat calls 945, and is all in
actzeng calls 1,145, and is all in
performer8 shows [Qc Ac]
paulwat shows [Ks Ad]
actzeng shows [Kh Qh]
Uncalled bet of 2,588 returned to performer8
*** FLOP *** [9s Ts Jh]
*** TURN *** [9s Ts Jh] [9d]
*** RIVER *** [9s Ts Jh 9d] [4d]
performer8 shows a pair of Nines
actzeng shows a straight, King high
actzeng wins the side pot (400) with a straight, King high
paulwat shows a pair of Nine
sactzeng wins the main pot (3,775) with a straight, King high
paulwat stands up
Seat 1: performer8 (4,013)
Seat 2: chadrock78 (2,890)
Seat 3: paulwat (1,225)
Seat 4: laguna creek (2,487)
Seat 5: Evesuvio (2,665)
Seat 6: Sonora Slew (2,120)
Seat 7: actzeng (1,425)
Seat 8: beat me 61 (1,690)
Seat 9: Kazama_Jin1708 (2,270)
Evesuvio posts the small blind of 20
Sonora Slew posts the big blind of 40
The button is in seat #4
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to actzeng [Kh Qh]
actzeng calls 40
beat me 61 folds
Kazama_Jin1708 calls 40
performer8 calls 40
chadrock78 folds
Sonora Slew is feeling happy
paulwat raises to 280
laguna creek folds
Evesuvio folds
Sonora Slew folds
actzeng calls 240
Kazama_Jin1708 folds
performer8 raises to 4,013, and is all in
paulwat calls 945, and is all in
actzeng calls 1,145, and is all in
performer8 shows [Qc Ac]
paulwat shows [Ks Ad]
actzeng shows [Kh Qh]
Uncalled bet of 2,588 returned to performer8
*** FLOP *** [9s Ts Jh]
*** TURN *** [9s Ts Jh] [9d]
*** RIVER *** [9s Ts Jh 9d] [4d]
performer8 shows a pair of Nines
actzeng shows a straight, King high
actzeng wins the side pot (400) with a straight, King high
paulwat shows a pair of Nine
sactzeng wins the main pot (3,775) with a straight, King high
paulwat stands up
PLO Woes
I should probably just stop playing PLO. I'm not playing well. Losing to first time players. Not running well either. Surprising how simply hitting your 23482934802 outs on the turn and river will change your attitude about whether you're playing well or playing badly.
NLHE is going ok. At least it's profitable. I think I got my BR to an all-time high. I don't remember exactly what the high number was. It was after I won that $1 tourney last year.
Obviously, I've lost a few games since then, but overall, I'm up about $15 or so. If I can win a few today, there will be no question.
I am going to put a stop loss on my play today. Basically, if I lose that $15, I'm stopping. Doesn't help that I just tanked a PLO game. Got bluffed out of a big pot holding Top Top, he led out for basically the game on the river and flashed a pair of tens after I folded.
He will obv not win a ton playing that way, but I guess he had a read against me.
NLHE is going ok. At least it's profitable. I think I got my BR to an all-time high. I don't remember exactly what the high number was. It was after I won that $1 tourney last year.
Obviously, I've lost a few games since then, but overall, I'm up about $15 or so. If I can win a few today, there will be no question.
I am going to put a stop loss on my play today. Basically, if I lose that $15, I'm stopping. Doesn't help that I just tanked a PLO game. Got bluffed out of a big pot holding Top Top, he led out for basically the game on the river and flashed a pair of tens after I folded.
He will obv not win a ton playing that way, but I guess he had a read against me.
Saturday, December 13, 2008
HOW IS POKER GOING?!
Full Tilt Poker Game #9473183632: $2 + $0.15 Heads Up Sit & Go (72325909), Table 1 - 15/30 - Pot Limit Omaha Hi - 14:26:38 ET - 2008/12/13
Seat 1: PFC_Witman (1,445)
Seat 2: actzeng (1,555)
PFC_Witman posts the small blind of 15
actzeng posts the big blind of 30
The button is in seat #1
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to actzeng [As Qs Kh Ks]
PFC_Witman raises to 90
actzeng raises to 270
PFC_Witman raises to 810
actzeng raises to 1,555, and is all in
PFC_Witman calls 635, and is all in
actzeng shows [As Qs Kh Ks]
PFC_Witman shows [Th 4d 5d Ts]
Uncalled bet of 110 returned to actzeng
*** FLOP *** [2c Td 2h]
*** TURN *** [2c Td 2h] [7h]
*** RIVER *** [2c Td 2h 7h] [Ah]
actzeng shows two pair, Aces and Twos
PFC_Witman shows a full house, Tens full of TwosPFC_Witman wins the pot (2,890) with a full house, Tens full of TwosThe blinds are now 20/40
Seat 1: PFC_Witman (1,445)
Seat 2: actzeng (1,555)
PFC_Witman posts the small blind of 15
actzeng posts the big blind of 30
The button is in seat #1
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to actzeng [As Qs Kh Ks]
PFC_Witman raises to 90
actzeng raises to 270
PFC_Witman raises to 810
actzeng raises to 1,555, and is all in
PFC_Witman calls 635, and is all in
actzeng shows [As Qs Kh Ks]
PFC_Witman shows [Th 4d 5d Ts]
Uncalled bet of 110 returned to actzeng
*** FLOP *** [2c Td 2h]
*** TURN *** [2c Td 2h] [7h]
*** RIVER *** [2c Td 2h 7h] [Ah]
actzeng shows two pair, Aces and Twos
PFC_Witman shows a full house, Tens full of TwosPFC_Witman wins the pot (2,890) with a full house, Tens full of TwosThe blinds are now 20/40
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Now running bad
This will be a trying time - a bit, anyways. In the last 2 days, I was way up in my experiment, and now fallen back to almost even. I'm not going to recount the hands because I don't think it's necessary. Yesterday, the hands played themselves. I got stuck in bad spots with big hands and that was it.
This is exactly why I didn't want to do this experiment - the swings. I'm down almost $30 right now, and maybe no end in sight. That is a lot of $2 games - to make up that kind of money. That's 6 $5 games, and basically $12 in the 2 dollar games, and that kind of losing streak rarely happens at $2.
I need to get back to being patient. I will try. Last game I crippled myself with top pair on the river, chasing an open ended straight (oppenent had flopped 2 pair). And then pushed into an UTG raiser with 99 and he had JJ. Not a great play.
This is exactly why I didn't want to do this experiment - the swings. I'm down almost $30 right now, and maybe no end in sight. That is a lot of $2 games - to make up that kind of money. That's 6 $5 games, and basically $12 in the 2 dollar games, and that kind of losing streak rarely happens at $2.
I need to get back to being patient. I will try. Last game I crippled myself with top pair on the river, chasing an open ended straight (oppenent had flopped 2 pair). And then pushed into an UTG raiser with 99 and he had JJ. Not a great play.
Monday, December 8, 2008
PLO not going well
I busted in like 108th place in the $1 Turbo. I totally forget what the bustout hand was, but I remember being quite disappointed. Three straight cashes would have been pretty cool. Then proceeded to donk off some more in HU PLO. Lost 2 games, basically.
I do not feel that I got outplayed. Sometimes it is just a struggle. You flop the straight, get it in, and they hit some miracle flush or FH on the river. This happens over and over. One of the games I lost, I lost early. I had K-high flush, and yep, he had me beat.
I keep wondering how long I should wait until I start playing higher in MTTs, especially given my most recent results. I'm not dumb enough to think that I'm going to start ripping shit up on every tourney I play, but the recent results have to be in part due to some disciplined play. I was looking back over mt MTT results and my ROI is pretty good. I guess I have to discount for the improved quality of play, but who knows how much improved the players really are at that level. My guess is - not much. I will probably give it a more serious shot when/if I can get my BR to four figures. That will probably be about 6-7 months of solid grinding.
I think one of the factors influencing the better play is the Gus book. I'm not that far through it, but it helped me in terms of bet-sizing when the antes start. I'm still really bummed about that guy hitting his two outer on the river, because there's no telling what I could have done with a top 10 stack at that point.
The other major concept that I've been making a part of my game is something that I call conceptually in my head "the in between." When I'm not playing well, I constantly think I need to go all in in certain spots. This is true sometimes, but not as much when I'm playing well. Sure, you have to bet, and catch some cards, but "the in between" is about bet-sizing, especially when you have a weak hand or a bluff - like AK on a nothing flop, or playing mid-pairs. The all in with a weak hand or bluff is just too weak of a play nowadays (you will get called), and folding sometimes is just too passive. Whenever I feel like I am in a situation where it is all in or fold, I'm trying to ask myself whether there's something I can do that's in between. A bet that is big enough to represent a real hand but also small enough that it looks like you want the call. Often, the right decision, and what is perceived as a strong play to your opponents is to do something in between all in and fold. I should post a hand as an example of this. The biggest consideration of the in between is your opponent's stack size.
I do not feel that I got outplayed. Sometimes it is just a struggle. You flop the straight, get it in, and they hit some miracle flush or FH on the river. This happens over and over. One of the games I lost, I lost early. I had K-high flush, and yep, he had me beat.
I keep wondering how long I should wait until I start playing higher in MTTs, especially given my most recent results. I'm not dumb enough to think that I'm going to start ripping shit up on every tourney I play, but the recent results have to be in part due to some disciplined play. I was looking back over mt MTT results and my ROI is pretty good. I guess I have to discount for the improved quality of play, but who knows how much improved the players really are at that level. My guess is - not much. I will probably give it a more serious shot when/if I can get my BR to four figures. That will probably be about 6-7 months of solid grinding.
I think one of the factors influencing the better play is the Gus book. I'm not that far through it, but it helped me in terms of bet-sizing when the antes start. I'm still really bummed about that guy hitting his two outer on the river, because there's no telling what I could have done with a top 10 stack at that point.
The other major concept that I've been making a part of my game is something that I call conceptually in my head "the in between." When I'm not playing well, I constantly think I need to go all in in certain spots. This is true sometimes, but not as much when I'm playing well. Sure, you have to bet, and catch some cards, but "the in between" is about bet-sizing, especially when you have a weak hand or a bluff - like AK on a nothing flop, or playing mid-pairs. The all in with a weak hand or bluff is just too weak of a play nowadays (you will get called), and folding sometimes is just too passive. Whenever I feel like I am in a situation where it is all in or fold, I'm trying to ask myself whether there's something I can do that's in between. A bet that is big enough to represent a real hand but also small enough that it looks like you want the call. Often, the right decision, and what is perceived as a strong play to your opponents is to do something in between all in and fold. I should post a hand as an example of this. The biggest consideration of the in between is your opponent's stack size.
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Objects in mirror...
Amazingly enough, I made another MTT run. This time in the 6-max $1 on FTP. We were pretty well into the money when I just started running bad. The worst was when I got all my money in with 99 on a flop that read TT2, and he called. With 55!!!. Turn was good, but the river didn't cooperate. I later made a mini comeback only to lose to the same guy. I had AK, raised, he RR me all in, I called. He had 77. Flop came a K, but also a 7. Turn was a tease K, and river was nothing, although the odds gods probably should have given it to me. Anyway, less than a dollar profit on it. Thought all along it was strange I was running through this one the same way as the last one.
Since the MTTs are going ok, I'm going to play the $1 turbo tonight.
Since the MTTs are going ok, I'm going to play the $1 turbo tonight.
Cue the downswing
Bad. Getting my money in good when the money is on the line and just not hodling up.
Saturday, December 6, 2008
so stupid
I shouldn't play after going deep in a tourney. I just needlessly called an all in on a BOB action with K8 os and lost to his Ace rag. WTF - so stupid.
Changes
I ended up playing one more and got three handed and then lost with 77 to K4 when the board counterfeited me at the end. Strange how you can play so well and then just get unlucky at the crucial hand and that's the big money difference.
Speaking of big money difference, I just finished third in a $1 tourney for $93 dollars. Nice to get to a final table again because it's been a while. I got to the final table in third, and people started dropping like flies - even people who jumped ahead of me. Ultimately, I crippled myself with pocket 3's, overplayed some good hands, and then shipped A5 three handed only to get called by A7 and that was it.
I was gonna do the $5 experiment and end it whenever I either won or lost $100 from my original starting point. I'm past that now. As these things go, I also played a $2 HU PLO game and lost to a guy who just started playing FTP today and misclicked into PLO. Go figure.
I will probably keep with the $5 thing and just add a hundred to my previous stop loss. Just fired up an SNG, so will update later. Also doing a razz freeroll for no good reason.
Speaking of big money difference, I just finished third in a $1 tourney for $93 dollars. Nice to get to a final table again because it's been a while. I got to the final table in third, and people started dropping like flies - even people who jumped ahead of me. Ultimately, I crippled myself with pocket 3's, overplayed some good hands, and then shipped A5 three handed only to get called by A7 and that was it.
I was gonna do the $5 experiment and end it whenever I either won or lost $100 from my original starting point. I'm past that now. As these things go, I also played a $2 HU PLO game and lost to a guy who just started playing FTP today and misclicked into PLO. Go figure.
I will probably keep with the $5 thing and just add a hundred to my previous stop loss. Just fired up an SNG, so will update later. Also doing a razz freeroll for no good reason.
Back to Even
So I'm back to zero in the experiment. Played two SNGs this morning. The first, I lost with AJ vs. A7 AIPF in blind on blind action. Flop came 7 high. I'm still in the second game as I write this blog. crippled myself with KK on the BB. UTG +1 called, I raised to 350 - blinds were 50/100. I had about 3k, and he had about 2k. He raised to 600 and I moved all in. I guess at that point, he's indicating to me that he at least has a big hand. I think it's very possible I'm getting my money in good, but alas, I was getting my money in as a huge dog. He had AA, flop hit the A (even though the river was a K). I went down to about 900
Anyways, I ended up more than doubling up when I flopped a straight with 7-4 os in the BB. We're 4 handed now, so I'm going to try and eek this one out. And the bubble boy just got Greensteined and I'm ITM! I'm the low stack by a long way, but will continue to battle. Won a flip - my 33 vs. KJos, hitting hands and now back up to respectability. Baby's crying. Bob on Twin Peaks. My 77 got counterfeited on the river but I pulled off a decent bluff - he was betting and showed no strength and checked the river on a JJ88 board.
I cannot limp into any pots vs the guy on my left (Mr. AA from earlier). Wow crippled bigtime with A3cc on a AJ8 board with 2 clubs. He bet, I raised, he called, turn 9 - he had T7. You play well sir - knew I should have pushed all in. Back in business after doubling with AT vs. A3.
Ace rag all in in BOB, and he folded. Binds 200/400 - limped into BB with QT (did not have enough to justify raise, and I figured he'd RR for me. We got it in pre, and he had 88 and I won the flip. AQ RR all in pre up against AQ, split. Huge hand between other 2 guys - KQ vs. AQ. I'm out in third with AQ vs. KK. Shit. I could have waited and tried to finish second, but I chose to go for the win and was a huge dog. I suck.
Anyways, I ended up more than doubling up when I flopped a straight with 7-4 os in the BB. We're 4 handed now, so I'm going to try and eek this one out. And the bubble boy just got Greensteined and I'm ITM! I'm the low stack by a long way, but will continue to battle. Won a flip - my 33 vs. KJos, hitting hands and now back up to respectability. Baby's crying. Bob on Twin Peaks. My 77 got counterfeited on the river but I pulled off a decent bluff - he was betting and showed no strength and checked the river on a JJ88 board.
I cannot limp into any pots vs the guy on my left (Mr. AA from earlier). Wow crippled bigtime with A3cc on a AJ8 board with 2 clubs. He bet, I raised, he called, turn 9 - he had T7. You play well sir - knew I should have pushed all in. Back in business after doubling with AT vs. A3.
Ace rag all in in BOB, and he folded. Binds 200/400 - limped into BB with QT (did not have enough to justify raise, and I figured he'd RR for me. We got it in pre, and he had 88 and I won the flip. AQ RR all in pre up against AQ, split. Huge hand between other 2 guys - KQ vs. AQ. I'm out in third with AQ vs. KK. Shit. I could have waited and tried to finish second, but I chose to go for the win and was a huge dog. I suck.
Friday, December 5, 2008
And I lost
Full Tilt Poker Game #9331791796: $2 + $0.15 Heads Up Sit & Go (71317461), Table 1 - 10/20 - Pot Limit Omaha Hi - 7:11:29 ET - 2008/12/05Seat 1: alwaysbusto (1,520)Seat 2: actzeng (1,480)alwaysbusto posts the small blind of 10actzeng posts the big blind of 20The button is in seat #1
*** HOLE CARDS ***Dealt to actzeng [2h Ac Jc 7h]
alwaysbusto raises to 60actzeng calls 40
*** FLOP *** [As 7d 6d]
actzeng bets 60alwaysbusto raises to 300actzeng raises to 1,020alwaysbusto raises to 1,460, and is all inactzeng calls 400, and is all in
alwaysbusto shows [3s 5d 7c Qd]
actzeng shows [2h Ac Jc 7h]Uncalled bet of 40 returned to alwaysbusto
*** TURN *** [As 7d 6d] [9s]
*** RIVER *** [As 7d 6d 9s] [Kd]
alwaysbusto shows a flush, King highactzeng shows two pair, Aces and Sevensalwaysbusto wins the pot (2,960) with a flush, King high
actzeng stands upalwaysbusto stands up*** SUMMARY ***Total pot 2,960 Rake 0Board: [As 7d 6d 9s Kd]Seat 1: alwaysbusto (small blind) showed [3s 5d 7c Qd] and won (2,960) with a flush, King highSeat 2: actzeng (big blind) showed [2h Ac Jc 7h] and lost with two pair, Aces and Sevens
I guess I could have done the same thing on the turn and worked for pot control. Probably what I should have done, although I'm not sure how he figures he's ahead here.
*** HOLE CARDS ***Dealt to actzeng [2h Ac Jc 7h]
alwaysbusto raises to 60actzeng calls 40
*** FLOP *** [As 7d 6d]
actzeng bets 60alwaysbusto raises to 300actzeng raises to 1,020alwaysbusto raises to 1,460, and is all inactzeng calls 400, and is all in
alwaysbusto shows [3s 5d 7c Qd]
actzeng shows [2h Ac Jc 7h]Uncalled bet of 40 returned to alwaysbusto
*** TURN *** [As 7d 6d] [9s]
*** RIVER *** [As 7d 6d 9s] [Kd]
alwaysbusto shows a flush, King highactzeng shows two pair, Aces and Sevensalwaysbusto wins the pot (2,960) with a flush, King high
actzeng stands upalwaysbusto stands up*** SUMMARY ***Total pot 2,960 Rake 0Board: [As 7d 6d 9s Kd]Seat 1: alwaysbusto (small blind) showed [3s 5d 7c Qd] and won (2,960) with a flush, King highSeat 2: actzeng (big blind) showed [2h Ac Jc 7h] and lost with two pair, Aces and Sevens
I guess I could have done the same thing on the turn and worked for pot control. Probably what I should have done, although I'm not sure how he figures he's ahead here.
Going ok
So I guess the experiment unofficially started last night and it's going alright. I took third and first in SNGs. Would have gone better if I had not just tilted off $5 in a HU PLO game against some trash Italian player. I know he's trash because he had all kinds of negative numbers on official poker rankings. Got me tilted when I had JJ and flop came with 2 fours. He played it a little tricky, but he had a 4 in his hand. Next hand, I flopped the nut straight, but it was all diamonds. The betting should have told me everything I needed to know about where I was in the hand, but my brain went on "fuck it" mode, and I shoved it in, and he had 7d4d, gg me. He wanted to rematch, which is annoying and I declined.
As I write this, I have dropped back down to the $2 SNGs. I will file this under the divided attention exemption, although hopefully I don't go out of my way to find excuses to play lower, although I'm sure I will. As I write this, I won one hu plo sng, and just got crippled in another. Flop came TT9 and I had AT - we shipped it on the flop, he had a T also, but was a dog to me, untl he binked the J on the turn, which filled him up. He had straight draws, so whatever. I made a mini comeback, but just lost and we're rematching now. Not a good day so far I guess.
At least NLHE is going ok tho, and I'll jump back on for a couple games tonight. It's finally friday.
As I write this, I have dropped back down to the $2 SNGs. I will file this under the divided attention exemption, although hopefully I don't go out of my way to find excuses to play lower, although I'm sure I will. As I write this, I won one hu plo sng, and just got crippled in another. Flop came TT9 and I had AT - we shipped it on the flop, he had a T also, but was a dog to me, untl he binked the J on the turn, which filled him up. He had straight draws, so whatever. I made a mini comeback, but just lost and we're rematching now. Not a good day so far I guess.
At least NLHE is going ok tho, and I'll jump back on for a couple games tonight. It's finally friday.
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Suicidal Thoughts
Not in real life, but just poker BR-wise. I was checking the leaderboard on sharkscope, and saw that another player who is in the top 20 for Omaha and O H/L games under $2 also plays much higher. With an 11% ROI and average stake at about $12 or so, he has played something ridiculous like 18,000 games. BUT, he has made about 24k playing. Interesting. He plays almost exclusively H/L. His graph is almost a steady incline - no real dips or rises.
Do I have the guts to do this? Just ramp it up to $5 every game or $10 every game? It's amazing how much of a nit I am and I start going crazy about losing $6 and dipping below the $1k threshold. I put these imiginary barriers in front of me and end up convincing myself that - if I can just eek out a little more, then I'll play higher. What ends up happening is that if I do go on a great streak, it's followed by a downswing, then I convince myself to cash out some of it. But for what? $100. To this day, I can't single out one thing in particular that I have purchased with my oline poker winnings, which to date is about $600 or so (at least the amount I have withdrawn) - maybe more, but I forget how much I pumped into it and all that, and also the stuff on Party.
Before FTP put in the $2 games, I was playing $5 SNGs regularly, and had less than 1/3 the bankroll I have now. What's changed?
The only real and true barrier for me is losing the entire online BR. I have no way of getting money back onto the site, and the prospect of losing it all makes me such a nit. The biggest issue is not the prospect of never playing again. I feel comfortable about the fact that I could walk away forever at any time and never go back. The biggest issue is not having the ability to play if I wanted to. There's a distinct difference, the latter much more frustrating, mentally. It will mean that I have lost my online roll, and failed. I like having options, even if my option of choice is not to play at all.
But, there's a happy medium, I think. I think I can probably safely set aside $100 of BR, and play strictly $5 games (aside from MTTs). If I lose $100, the experiment is over, and I go back to grinding $2 games. In fact, if I lose $100 from the point I am right now, I will not be too far off from my previous low point - in other words, I have recently grinded the $2 games into a $70 profit in the last 3 months or so, and am somewhat confident in my ability to be able to do it again, although it is a long and arguous process.
A couple disclaimers - now that my daughter is here, I will allow myself to play $2 games when my attention is divided among various things. this is one of the things I love about the $2 games - they are relatively inconsequential in the end. Nice to win, but if I lose, whatever. Even if I lose 4 in a row, sucks, but has almost no effect on my total bankroll. $20 may have that effect, but I'm hoping that I can eek out the same results at the $5 level as the $2 level.
I don't know when I'm going to start this, which is the problem. I keep thinking about how much it would suck to lose $100.
Does anyone read this blog? If so, please post a comment.
Do I have the guts to do this? Just ramp it up to $5 every game or $10 every game? It's amazing how much of a nit I am and I start going crazy about losing $6 and dipping below the $1k threshold. I put these imiginary barriers in front of me and end up convincing myself that - if I can just eek out a little more, then I'll play higher. What ends up happening is that if I do go on a great streak, it's followed by a downswing, then I convince myself to cash out some of it. But for what? $100. To this day, I can't single out one thing in particular that I have purchased with my oline poker winnings, which to date is about $600 or so (at least the amount I have withdrawn) - maybe more, but I forget how much I pumped into it and all that, and also the stuff on Party.
Before FTP put in the $2 games, I was playing $5 SNGs regularly, and had less than 1/3 the bankroll I have now. What's changed?
The only real and true barrier for me is losing the entire online BR. I have no way of getting money back onto the site, and the prospect of losing it all makes me such a nit. The biggest issue is not the prospect of never playing again. I feel comfortable about the fact that I could walk away forever at any time and never go back. The biggest issue is not having the ability to play if I wanted to. There's a distinct difference, the latter much more frustrating, mentally. It will mean that I have lost my online roll, and failed. I like having options, even if my option of choice is not to play at all.
But, there's a happy medium, I think. I think I can probably safely set aside $100 of BR, and play strictly $5 games (aside from MTTs). If I lose $100, the experiment is over, and I go back to grinding $2 games. In fact, if I lose $100 from the point I am right now, I will not be too far off from my previous low point - in other words, I have recently grinded the $2 games into a $70 profit in the last 3 months or so, and am somewhat confident in my ability to be able to do it again, although it is a long and arguous process.
A couple disclaimers - now that my daughter is here, I will allow myself to play $2 games when my attention is divided among various things. this is one of the things I love about the $2 games - they are relatively inconsequential in the end. Nice to win, but if I lose, whatever. Even if I lose 4 in a row, sucks, but has almost no effect on my total bankroll. $20 may have that effect, but I'm hoping that I can eek out the same results at the $5 level as the $2 level.
I don't know when I'm going to start this, which is the problem. I keep thinking about how much it would suck to lose $100.
Does anyone read this blog? If so, please post a comment.
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Lucky/Unlucky
I did pass the $1k threshold, but I won't be there for too long. In fact, I think I'm already under it. Thanks to hands like this.
Full Tilt Poker Game #9309750309: $2 + $0.25 Sit & Go (71159653), Table 1 - 40/80 - No Limit Hold'em - 23:15:21 ET - 2008/12/03
Seat 2: caseycat2 (2,840)
Seat 3: actzeng (1,195)
Seat 4: Zulu94598 (3,045)
Seat 5: darqblue42 (2,195)
Seat 8: resler101 (2,435)
Seat 9: XPhillyRobX (1,790)
caseycat2 posts the small blind of 40
actzeng posts the big blind of 80
The button is in seat #9
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to actzeng [9d 2d]
Zulu94598 calls 80
darqblue42 folds
resler101 folds
XPhillyRobX folds
caseycat2 folds
actzeng checks
*** FLOP *** [Kh 3d Qd]
actzeng checks
Zulu94598 bets 160
actzeng raises to 1,115, and is all in
Zulu94598 calls 955
actzeng shows [9d 2d]
Zulu94598 shows [Ah Ac]
*** TURN *** [Kh 3d Qd] [Ad]
*** RIVER *** [Kh 3d Qd Ad] [As]
actzeng shows a flush, Ace high
Zulu94598 shows four of a kind, Aces
Zulu94598 wins the pot (2,430) with four of a kind, Aces
actzeng stands up
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 2,430 | Rake 0
Board: [Kh 3d Qd Ad As]
Seat 2: caseycat2 (small blind) folded before the Flop
Seat 3: actzeng (big blind) showed [9d 2d] and lost with a flush, Ace high
Seat 4: Zulu94598 showed [Ah Ac] and won (2,430) with four of a kind, Aces
Seat 5: darqblue42 didn't bet (folded)
Seat 8: resler101 didn't bet (folded)
Seat 9: XPhillyRobX (button) didn't bet (folded)
Full Tilt Poker Game #9309750309: $2 + $0.25 Sit & Go (71159653), Table 1 - 40/80 - No Limit Hold'em - 23:15:21 ET - 2008/12/03
Seat 2: caseycat2 (2,840)
Seat 3: actzeng (1,195)
Seat 4: Zulu94598 (3,045)
Seat 5: darqblue42 (2,195)
Seat 8: resler101 (2,435)
Seat 9: XPhillyRobX (1,790)
caseycat2 posts the small blind of 40
actzeng posts the big blind of 80
The button is in seat #9
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to actzeng [9d 2d]
Zulu94598 calls 80
darqblue42 folds
resler101 folds
XPhillyRobX folds
caseycat2 folds
actzeng checks
*** FLOP *** [Kh 3d Qd]
actzeng checks
Zulu94598 bets 160
actzeng raises to 1,115, and is all in
Zulu94598 calls 955
actzeng shows [9d 2d]
Zulu94598 shows [Ah Ac]
*** TURN *** [Kh 3d Qd] [Ad]
*** RIVER *** [Kh 3d Qd Ad] [As]
actzeng shows a flush, Ace high
Zulu94598 shows four of a kind, Aces
Zulu94598 wins the pot (2,430) with four of a kind, Aces
actzeng stands up
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 2,430 | Rake 0
Board: [Kh 3d Qd Ad As]
Seat 2: caseycat2 (small blind) folded before the Flop
Seat 3: actzeng (big blind) showed [9d 2d] and lost with a flush, Ace high
Seat 4: Zulu94598 showed [Ah Ac] and won (2,430) with four of a kind, Aces
Seat 5: darqblue42 didn't bet (folded)
Seat 8: resler101 didn't bet (folded)
Seat 9: XPhillyRobX (button) didn't bet (folded)
Monday, December 1, 2008
Keeping on
I'm posting again, knowing full well that this is probably going to lead to another downturn in luck, but it is what it is.
November wrapped up ok. I ended up losing the star on sharkscope, and I think it's half bad play on my part and half just getting unlucky. Despite the fact that I'm up on the month, I feel like I suffered some pretty horrific beats. There was one 9 person SNG where I had KK four times, AA once, and QQ once and busted out in like 15 hands. the beats were sick. remind me to send you the HH. I should still have it.
The good thing is that even with the downturn in HU PLO, the SNGs have been running much better and I feel a lot more in control, and more patient. I'm not raising low pairs in EP, and getting away from AJ and AQ early on.
It is weird to think that it was about 7 months ago or so that I was excited about crossing the $1000 mark on sharkscope and $700 in my BR, and to date, I have done neither. I predicted then that my play would suffer, and it did. I am now $10 away from the $1k mark on sharkscope, so we'll see how it goes this time around.
If I do end up crossing either threshold, I may step back into the $5 SNGs. In actuality, I should play all $5 games, even the HU PLO. Over the course of time, I will pay less to FTP, and will take a bigger prizepool. I just don't want to go on that downswing where I lose 8 in a row and am suddenly down $40. You have to play a ton of $2 games to make that money. I know - that's basically what I've scrounged together in the last 3 months.
November wrapped up ok. I ended up losing the star on sharkscope, and I think it's half bad play on my part and half just getting unlucky. Despite the fact that I'm up on the month, I feel like I suffered some pretty horrific beats. There was one 9 person SNG where I had KK four times, AA once, and QQ once and busted out in like 15 hands. the beats were sick. remind me to send you the HH. I should still have it.
The good thing is that even with the downturn in HU PLO, the SNGs have been running much better and I feel a lot more in control, and more patient. I'm not raising low pairs in EP, and getting away from AJ and AQ early on.
It is weird to think that it was about 7 months ago or so that I was excited about crossing the $1000 mark on sharkscope and $700 in my BR, and to date, I have done neither. I predicted then that my play would suffer, and it did. I am now $10 away from the $1k mark on sharkscope, so we'll see how it goes this time around.
If I do end up crossing either threshold, I may step back into the $5 SNGs. In actuality, I should play all $5 games, even the HU PLO. Over the course of time, I will pay less to FTP, and will take a bigger prizepool. I just don't want to go on that downswing where I lose 8 in a row and am suddenly down $40. You have to play a ton of $2 games to make that money. I know - that's basically what I've scrounged together in the last 3 months.
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