It's been a week since my last update, and a lot is going on. We're finally moving some of the furniture out of my mother-in-law's house in McAlester (she passed away in January), and slowly getting it ready to put on the market. I've re-entered the corporate world as a technical writer. And I've cashed in 3 out of 4 local tournaments, each for about 8x my buy-in. My copy of The Poker Blueprint arrived yesterday. Alas, I haven't had time yet to get past the first chapter. The new employer is a contractor for the US Dept of Housing and Urban Development, and the background checks are many and extensive, including a history of everywhere I've lived for the past 10 years. Had to really dig to come up with the dates. I may not get to turn many pages until Sunday, after we get done moving some more furniture.
Anyway, with a steady income now expected to flow into the coffers, I can afford to take some time off from full ring and really focus on improving my game. My short-stack game is already very good, but my medium-stack game 100-200BB needs work. So I'm going to stick to tournaments for the next month or so where I have more of an edge.
I finished in the top 6 in 3 tournaments, with fields ranging from 75 to 100 players in each. In the one where I failed to cash, I finished in 5th place, two away from the money, out of 23 players. It was also at a casino where I don't often play, and I had no history with any of the players.
Well, that's it for now. Have to get up in 6 hours and report to work, something I haven't done in over 2 years.
M
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Morning tournament - more cash game woes
Seems I can run bad in tournaments just as well as cash games.
Started with 8k chips. I played a total of 7 hands. The first five levels I was card dead. I limped once with 88 and called a raise on the button vs UTG raiser w/AQs. Stacks were too deep at the time to reraise or shove. Whiffed both times. I won one pot with a donk bet in a limped pot 3-handed.
Got blinded down to 6k by the time this hand came up, and the blinds had increased to 300/600/50. HJ limped, BTN shoves for 4500, I'm in the BB and have 66. It's the second best hand I've been dealt so far, as I've mostly been getting K5o and 93o trash. I decide to gamble and reraise all in for 6100. HJ calls. HJ shows 55. BTN shows QJ. Board runs out KT839, giving BTN a straight. I win a small side pot.
The very next hand I'm in the SB holding A9o. It folds around to the guy who had 55 last hand, and he limps. It folds to me and I go all in for around 2300. BB folds. The limper calls. He shows T2o. Board runs out KJ482. I finished 18th out of around 50 players.
They have a cash game running and I go take a look at it to see if it's worth joining. There's a chronic bluffer in the game. A chronic gambler in the game. One solid reg and the rest I've never seen or played with before. I decide to take a 1-buyin shot and sit down with $100. First hand I'm in the CO with KQcc. 4 limpers and I raise to $12. 3 callers. Flop AT5cc. The chronic bluffer is 2nd to act and donks for $27. 1 fold, I call, SB folds. Feels like 2nd pair with a gutshot or a naked flush draw. Turn is the Ks. Bluffer goes all in. I call. River blanks and I table my hand. My kings are good.
I go an hour limp-folding, occassionally limp-calling and then folding the flop with middle pairs. Then I pick up AQs on the button with a stack of $132. 6 limpers and I make it $12 to go. 5 callers. Flop AKx. With $70 in the pot, I wanted to make it clear I wasn't folding. I bet $60. 2 callers, both 60+ yr old men. (Neither of them play great, but they're not stupid either.) Turn J. 1 check, then player to my right donks for $50. I go into the tank. AJ? Really? AJ or AK, that's about it. Can this really be happening again? With $250 + the $50 bet in the pot I'm getting 6 to 1 on a call. I have TPTK with a gutshot. I make a crying call. The other villain folds. River blanks. Check-check river. Sure enough, my opponent tables AJ. Another effing 3-outer. Yeah, that's what I was afraid of, I tell him. Nice hand.
I rebuy for $100, which was probably not the best idea in retrospect. I admit I was tilting. I picked up JTdd on the button and raised small, hoping to flop something good and have a pot to go after. 6 players called. Flop came 976d. 2nd player to act (the chronic gambler) came out firing $30 into the $60 pot. I know he has an 8, probably with a pair. This is a clear fold. But do I fold? No, of course not. I'm on tilt. I call. The BB also calls. Turn is the Ad, giving me a flush draw to go with my gutshot. BB (the solid reg) checks. Gambler bets $40. I tank-call, hoping the BB flat-calls. Implied odds don't matter much as I'm only leaving myself $20 behind. The river is the 3h. BB checks. Gambler checks. No value in betting and no fold equity--the BB is a solid reg and he has a hand. I check. BB shows 99 for a set. I am not surprised at all.
I go all in pf with 88 a few hands later for $18, get 2 callers (both the gambler and the AJ player). Board runs out KJTxx, the AJ player shows me K9o. This time I wisely quit.
M
Started with 8k chips. I played a total of 7 hands. The first five levels I was card dead. I limped once with 88 and called a raise on the button vs UTG raiser w/AQs. Stacks were too deep at the time to reraise or shove. Whiffed both times. I won one pot with a donk bet in a limped pot 3-handed.
Got blinded down to 6k by the time this hand came up, and the blinds had increased to 300/600/50. HJ limped, BTN shoves for 4500, I'm in the BB and have 66. It's the second best hand I've been dealt so far, as I've mostly been getting K5o and 93o trash. I decide to gamble and reraise all in for 6100. HJ calls. HJ shows 55. BTN shows QJ. Board runs out KT839, giving BTN a straight. I win a small side pot.
The very next hand I'm in the SB holding A9o. It folds around to the guy who had 55 last hand, and he limps. It folds to me and I go all in for around 2300. BB folds. The limper calls. He shows T2o. Board runs out KJ482. I finished 18th out of around 50 players.
They have a cash game running and I go take a look at it to see if it's worth joining. There's a chronic bluffer in the game. A chronic gambler in the game. One solid reg and the rest I've never seen or played with before. I decide to take a 1-buyin shot and sit down with $100. First hand I'm in the CO with KQcc. 4 limpers and I raise to $12. 3 callers. Flop AT5cc. The chronic bluffer is 2nd to act and donks for $27. 1 fold, I call, SB folds. Feels like 2nd pair with a gutshot or a naked flush draw. Turn is the Ks. Bluffer goes all in. I call. River blanks and I table my hand. My kings are good.
I go an hour limp-folding, occassionally limp-calling and then folding the flop with middle pairs. Then I pick up AQs on the button with a stack of $132. 6 limpers and I make it $12 to go. 5 callers. Flop AKx. With $70 in the pot, I wanted to make it clear I wasn't folding. I bet $60. 2 callers, both 60+ yr old men. (Neither of them play great, but they're not stupid either.) Turn J. 1 check, then player to my right donks for $50. I go into the tank. AJ? Really? AJ or AK, that's about it. Can this really be happening again? With $250 + the $50 bet in the pot I'm getting 6 to 1 on a call. I have TPTK with a gutshot. I make a crying call. The other villain folds. River blanks. Check-check river. Sure enough, my opponent tables AJ. Another effing 3-outer. Yeah, that's what I was afraid of, I tell him. Nice hand.
I rebuy for $100, which was probably not the best idea in retrospect. I admit I was tilting. I picked up JTdd on the button and raised small, hoping to flop something good and have a pot to go after. 6 players called. Flop came 976d. 2nd player to act (the chronic gambler) came out firing $30 into the $60 pot. I know he has an 8, probably with a pair. This is a clear fold. But do I fold? No, of course not. I'm on tilt. I call. The BB also calls. Turn is the Ad, giving me a flush draw to go with my gutshot. BB (the solid reg) checks. Gambler bets $40. I tank-call, hoping the BB flat-calls. Implied odds don't matter much as I'm only leaving myself $20 behind. The river is the 3h. BB checks. Gambler checks. No value in betting and no fold equity--the BB is a solid reg and he has a hand. I check. BB shows 99 for a set. I am not surprised at all.
I go all in pf with 88 a few hands later for $18, get 2 callers (both the gambler and the AJ player). Board runs out KJTxx, the AJ player shows me K9o. This time I wisely quit.
M
14 players chop the June $15K freeroll tournament at River Spirit
Yes, I was among the bottom 7 players. AA < KK for half my stack put me in the bottom half. A steady stream of unplayable hands kept me there. When we chopped, I had around 60k chips.
14 players chop the June $15K freeroll tournament at River SpiritJune 11, 2011. 92 players arrived at the River Spirit Casino poker room to compete for their share of $15,000. At the fourth break, with 14 players left, a deal was struck to chop the prize pool. Going by chip count, the top 7 players received $1,271 while the bottom 7 players received $871.
Taking time off from cash games
Played last night. Started with $100 and ran it up to $550 in less than 2 hours. Then the doomswitch turned on. I dropped to $225 and took a break for an hour.
Came back and bought in for $100 again. Once again, lost to runner runner 2x and moved all in with TPGK + sd + fd and couldn't get there, and my opponent had me outkicked (I had JTs, he had KTo).
Took today off from poker completely except for writing this blog. Waiting for The Poker Blueprint to arrive from Amazon.com.
Going to play the morning tournament tomorrow, but avoiding the cash games for now. I have a bunch of other projects that will keep me away from the tables completely this weekend. Probably for the best. My hourly rate has dipped from $74/hr (Weeks 1 & 2), to a piddly $10/hr (YTD). Still winning, but not enough to make a living (unless I work 80hrs/wk). Basically, I won $2K during those first two weeks and have broken even ever since. What's the answer? I wish I knew. Am I doing something wrong? Probably, but I can't put my finger on it. I keep getting the money in when I'm either ahead or a math favorite, but I can't hold up or get there. Is it the cards or is it me? After 8 weeks of this I'm just not sure.
You know what it feels like? It feels exactly like it did 2 years ago when I started out playing 1c/2c NL on Pokerstars. My game has improved 10 times over since then, but it feels like I'm going through a second puberty playing live.
M
Came back and bought in for $100 again. Once again, lost to runner runner 2x and moved all in with TPGK + sd + fd and couldn't get there, and my opponent had me outkicked (I had JTs, he had KTo).
Took today off from poker completely except for writing this blog. Waiting for The Poker Blueprint to arrive from Amazon.com.
Going to play the morning tournament tomorrow, but avoiding the cash games for now. I have a bunch of other projects that will keep me away from the tables completely this weekend. Probably for the best. My hourly rate has dipped from $74/hr (Weeks 1 & 2), to a piddly $10/hr (YTD). Still winning, but not enough to make a living (unless I work 80hrs/wk). Basically, I won $2K during those first two weeks and have broken even ever since. What's the answer? I wish I knew. Am I doing something wrong? Probably, but I can't put my finger on it. I keep getting the money in when I'm either ahead or a math favorite, but I can't hold up or get there. Is it the cards or is it me? After 8 weeks of this I'm just not sure.
You know what it feels like? It feels exactly like it did 2 years ago when I started out playing 1c/2c NL on Pokerstars. My game has improved 10 times over since then, but it feels like I'm going through a second puberty playing live.
M
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Longer session, fewer playable hands, more bad beats
All in on the turn with top 2 pair, called by top pair, King kicker. River: K.
3-bet pf with AA. Original raiser calls. Flop J56ss. Checks to me. I bet $50 into a $65 pot. He shoves, I call off my remaining $50, hoping to see KK/QQ. He has JJ.
Limp-reraise all in preflop with AA. 3 players call. Board QT9xQ. The two hands I saw were J9o and QTo.
Dunno how long this will continue. Will seriously consider time off if this happens again tomorrow night.
M
3-bet pf with AA. Original raiser calls. Flop J56ss. Checks to me. I bet $50 into a $65 pot. He shoves, I call off my remaining $50, hoping to see KK/QQ. He has JJ.
Limp-reraise all in preflop with AA. 3 players call. Board QT9xQ. The two hands I saw were J9o and QTo.
Dunno how long this will continue. Will seriously consider time off if this happens again tomorrow night.
M
Monday, June 13, 2011
Short session... losing to runner runner 2x
I'm back to running like Negreanu on HSP.
Buy in for $100. I'm on the button with KQs. HJ raises to $12. Flop AQ3ss. HJ bets $20. Turn K. HJ bets $37. Feels like AQ/AK to me. I fold. He says he had AK and I believe him.
I have $52 left when this hand comes up. I have AKcc UTG and I limp. I'm hoping to reraise aipf. MP raises to $7. 2 callers before it gets back to me. I go all in for $52. MP thinks about it and calls, everyone else folds. MP shows KdJd. Flop comes 9d 6d 3d. FML.
Rebuy for $100. I start this hand with $82. After 6 limpers I find 33 on the button. I limp along. SB calls, BB checks. Flop comes A38dd. BB bets $7. MP calls, I call. Turn 8d, giving me a boat and putting a poss flush on board. BB bets $7. MP calls. I count my stack, which is $73. I decide to call and try to get value from MP who may have a baby flush...BB I put on an ace or an 8, likely with a diamond. I call the $7 turn bet. River Ts. BB bets $15. MP calls. I raise all in for $66. MP folds out of turn. BB calls. I turn over my boat. BB turns over T8 for a rivered boat. FML.
I rebuy for $100 more. When this hand started, I had $98 of it left, and am in the SB. 6 players limp and I raise to $16 w/QdQh. 3 callers. Flop AhTh8d. I tank-check. It checks around. Turn is the 6d. I bet $27 into the $64 pot. 1 fold, MP calls, BTN folds. River 2d. I tank-check. MP tanks and bets $30. He either has the runner runner flush or he's bluffing a missed draw. I don't give him credit for an ace (he would have bet the flop), and I don't think he'd bet a pair of tens. With $150 in the pot and slightly tilting, I call. He shows KdTd.
I take my remaining $27 in chips to the cashier and leave. I lost $273 in less than 2 hours.
Getting tired of nights like this.
M
Buy in for $100. I'm on the button with KQs. HJ raises to $12. Flop AQ3ss. HJ bets $20. Turn K. HJ bets $37. Feels like AQ/AK to me. I fold. He says he had AK and I believe him.
I have $52 left when this hand comes up. I have AKcc UTG and I limp. I'm hoping to reraise aipf. MP raises to $7. 2 callers before it gets back to me. I go all in for $52. MP thinks about it and calls, everyone else folds. MP shows KdJd. Flop comes 9d 6d 3d. FML.
Rebuy for $100. I start this hand with $82. After 6 limpers I find 33 on the button. I limp along. SB calls, BB checks. Flop comes A38dd. BB bets $7. MP calls, I call. Turn 8d, giving me a boat and putting a poss flush on board. BB bets $7. MP calls. I count my stack, which is $73. I decide to call and try to get value from MP who may have a baby flush...BB I put on an ace or an 8, likely with a diamond. I call the $7 turn bet. River Ts. BB bets $15. MP calls. I raise all in for $66. MP folds out of turn. BB calls. I turn over my boat. BB turns over T8 for a rivered boat. FML.
I rebuy for $100 more. When this hand started, I had $98 of it left, and am in the SB. 6 players limp and I raise to $16 w/QdQh. 3 callers. Flop AhTh8d. I tank-check. It checks around. Turn is the 6d. I bet $27 into the $64 pot. 1 fold, MP calls, BTN folds. River 2d. I tank-check. MP tanks and bets $30. He either has the runner runner flush or he's bluffing a missed draw. I don't give him credit for an ace (he would have bet the flop), and I don't think he'd bet a pair of tens. With $150 in the pot and slightly tilting, I call. He shows KdTd.
I take my remaining $27 in chips to the cashier and leave. I lost $273 in less than 2 hours.
Getting tired of nights like this.
M
Saturday, June 11, 2011
$15K Freeroll -- chop for 6th place money
I played in the River Spirit monthly $15K freeroll today. 92 players entered. I was chip leader for blind levels 6 thru 10, then took three beats in rapid succession to move into the bottom half of the field. We chopped it going into blind level 13 (3000/6000/500) with 14 left. The top 7 got 5th place money. The bottom 7 got 6th place money. I wrote it up for examiner.com, which you can read here.
It took them 2 hours to process the payouts. While I waited I sat down in a cash game and won an additional $260, putting my total winnings for the day at $1,111.
After suffering from insomnia last night I'm completely exhausted.
Maybe I'll attempt a play by play later, if I can remember the hands. I'm guessing I won't remember most of it though. Just too damn tired.
Good news is my BR is much healthier. It was $400. I added $700 of my own money yesterday. Add to that today's win and we're at $2,211. Feeling good about it. The pressure is off.
M
It took them 2 hours to process the payouts. While I waited I sat down in a cash game and won an additional $260, putting my total winnings for the day at $1,111.
After suffering from insomnia last night I'm completely exhausted.
Maybe I'll attempt a play by play later, if I can remember the hands. I'm guessing I won't remember most of it though. Just too damn tired.
Good news is my BR is much healthier. It was $400. I added $700 of my own money yesterday. Add to that today's win and we're at $2,211. Feeling good about it. The pressure is off.
M
Friday, June 10, 2011
Common sense poker: handling adversity
Continuing with my "common sense" series, I revisit my blog entry from April 7, 2011, where I talked about running bad and having the right mindset. Click below for the full article.
Common sense poker: handling adversity
So, self, here's my advice to you. First, stop focusing on the results. You can do everything right and still lose. Focus instead on making the best decisions you can, and let the results take care of themselves. Second, ...
Common sense poker: handling adversity
So, self, here's my advice to you. First, stop focusing on the results. You can do everything right and still lose. Focus instead on making the best decisions you can, and let the results take care of themselves. Second, ...
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Struggle continues
Another loss and frankly, there was nothing interesting about it worth recounting here. I didn't make any big mistakes. I just either couldn't hit or couldn't get paid off. I got coolered in a big pot where I made a flush and my opponent made the nut flush. But w/e...I had straight and flush draws, the pot was 3-way, and I made my flush on the river. Not gonna cry over it.
Going to take tomorrow off from poker completely and get back to work on Friday.
M
Going to take tomorrow off from poker completely and get back to work on Friday.
M
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Two steps forward, one step back
Got two wins under my belt and then last night took a bunch of beats. Nothing that interesting to note, it's all pretty standard, so I'll abbreviate it.
I had J8s in the BB, UTG+2 raises to $7, 4 callers so I call. Flop J87, I check, UTG+2 bets $20, I raise to $60, he calls. Turn T. I go all in for $40 more, he calls. He has KQ for an oesd. River A.
It's a bad beat so I rebuy.
I get back to even with AQ, flop top pair, and get 3 streets of value.
Got $60 profit with Q3s, flop top pair, it checks around. I turned trips, got 2 streets of value.
Then I get A4cc on the button, called pfr. Flop brings a flush draw on a T-hi board. I call the 1/2 pot flop bet. Everyone else folds so we're heads-up. Villain is short stacked with about $60 left. There's ~$45 in the pot. Turn brings my flush, and I decide to check behind and try to get value from a pair of tens on the river. The river brings another T. He leads for $26. I raised to $76. He calls and shows 5's full. He had bottom set and got there. Oops.
Just a few hands later I raise 5x w/AA. Player on my left makes it $32 to go. I go all in. He calls with JJ. Flop QJ4. Player on my right says he folded A4o. My one-outer doesn't come and I'm done.
Feel like I played well, though I did cost myself and extra $35 with the nut flush hand. I could have just called, and did consider it when the board paired, but decided it was unlikely he'd filled up. Not a big mistake, imo, but a mistake nevertheless.
Will make another run at it tonight.
M
I had J8s in the BB, UTG+2 raises to $7, 4 callers so I call. Flop J87, I check, UTG+2 bets $20, I raise to $60, he calls. Turn T. I go all in for $40 more, he calls. He has KQ for an oesd. River A.
It's a bad beat so I rebuy.
I get back to even with AQ, flop top pair, and get 3 streets of value.
Got $60 profit with Q3s, flop top pair, it checks around. I turned trips, got 2 streets of value.
Then I get A4cc on the button, called pfr. Flop brings a flush draw on a T-hi board. I call the 1/2 pot flop bet. Everyone else folds so we're heads-up. Villain is short stacked with about $60 left. There's ~$45 in the pot. Turn brings my flush, and I decide to check behind and try to get value from a pair of tens on the river. The river brings another T. He leads for $26. I raised to $76. He calls and shows 5's full. He had bottom set and got there. Oops.
Just a few hands later I raise 5x w/AA. Player on my left makes it $32 to go. I go all in. He calls with JJ. Flop QJ4. Player on my right says he folded A4o. My one-outer doesn't come and I'm done.
Feel like I played well, though I did cost myself and extra $35 with the nut flush hand. I could have just called, and did consider it when the board paired, but decided it was unlikely he'd filled up. Not a big mistake, imo, but a mistake nevertheless.
Will make another run at it tonight.
M
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