Local tournament winnings, life update

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

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

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

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

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

$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

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, ...

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

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

Another win...another early exit

Continued my mission to rebuild my bankroll tonight. I showed up at the River Spirit casino at 10:00 and got my seat 15 minutes later. I immediately doubled up with TPTK vs a maniac and 2 overpairs vs TPGK hands. Then I picked up JJ in the BB and raised to $17 vs 6 limpers. 2 players called. Flop J65 with two diamonds. I bet $25 into the $60 pot. 1 caller. Turn was the Ah. I take a moment to decide on my bet size, wanting to get value from A-hi that peeled the flop. I decided on $40. Villain min-raises to $80. I count my stack...if I call, I have roughly $80 left. I count out $40 in chips, pause, and go all in. Villain calls and shows AK, drawing dead. This hand took me up to $430, a profit of $330. Once again, sticking to my rules, I rack up and leave. I've only been at the table 45 minutes.

Man, I'd like to stay at these juicy tables. Can't wait to hit my goal so I can stick around longer.
M

Squeezing out a win live

As I mentioned in my previous post, my BR had dipped to around $400. I had very specific goals going in. Buy in for $100. One rebuy allowed if coolered or I take a bad beat for my first BI. I MUST quit if I win $200.

When I arrived, there were 4 tables of $1/$2 NLHE going, with one seat open. Had two solid regs on my left, and a maniac two seats to my right. The maniac had $500 in front of him, the regs had $500 and $300. I bought in for $100.

I folded mostly (limp-folded some) and then picked up pocket 10's in the BB. Solid reg #2 raised UTG+1 to $12. One player called, and I called. Flop 532 (I don't remember if there was a flush draw). I checked. Reg bet $20, LP player called. I thought about it, but not for very long. I folded. I've played enough hours with the reg to know his range oop is super-strong, and lacking a set or draw on board, I didn't like my hand anymore and let it go. Reg #2 showed KK and scooped. I felt like I was beat and folded. The turn was an 8. The river was a T. I would have hit a set on the river to win. While I would have tripled up, I made a good read and a good decision. This was a confidence boost to say the least.

Maniac's tendecies were pretty obvious to read. He would go all in with air, and value bet made hands. He called a raise pf, flop comes 887, checks to him and he shoves for $400 into a ~$40 pot. The original raiser calls. Maniac shows Q6o. Original raiser shows JJ.

So when he raised pf, I look down at AK and I have 35BB left from my original 50. I shove. He over-shoves, everyone folds, and we're off to the flop. Maniac shows KK. Ugh. Cooler. The case King flops and I'm basically dead. I rebuy for $100.

Later on, I open-raise pf with AKo. Maniac reraises. I flat call. Flop 445. Maniac shoves for $240 and has me covered (I started with ~$170). I probably have the best hand or am chopping, but he could have a small pair like 22 or 33, though 67 or QJ is more likely. I decide I'm going to have more and better opportunities vs this player, so I let it go. I don't know if it was a bluff-brag or that he thought he was showing the best hand, but he mucked AKo face-up. So, we were chopping. That's fine, I don't mind my fold. I just hope he sticks around.

My stack drops to around $130. Once again, he raised to $17 pf. Before the action gets back to me, another payer calls, I look down at QQ and I hope they're feeling frisky. I reraise to $60. He shoves, everyone folds, and I call. Board runs out 4Q57Jddd. Maniac shows down Ad8h. This hand brings me back to even plus a bit of profit.

Okay, so time to analyze my situation. I have $240 on the table and my BR is $400. Not the best situation, so I'm thinking about quitting. I consider my opponents at the table. The maniac is begging to go broke. There are two other weak players at my table. I decide to stick around for another 30 minutes, quit if I hit $300 or drop to $100.

I limp 87o in MP. Button raises small. Three players call so I call behind. Flop 469. Everyone checks to the button, who bets the pot. It's a big bet, and smells like weakness to me. It folds to me and I call 15% of my stack. Everyone else folds, which was disappointing. The turn is a J. Check-check. River 5. Bingo, the nuts. I bet $70 into the $110 pot. Button pays me off.

This hand took me up to $325, and I immediately racked up. I decide to play any premium hands I'm dealt while waiting for the blinds to circle back to me. In the space of those 5 hands, I'm dealt AA twice, 3-bet preflop, and took it down on the flop. I quit with $210 profit.

It's nice to book a win after five straight losses. It really sucks to have to quit because you have 67% of your bankroll on the table. But I felt it was the right decision. I'll go back tonight and execute the same plan. Lose $100 or win $200, then quit. 1 rebuy allowed if I lose the 1st BI via cooler or bad beat. How long will I stick with it? Probably until I get back above $1500. Hope it doesn't take too long.

M

Flirting with busto

FYI, this is a vent-post. I'm running bad and my BR is almost gone.
There are no smaller stakes to be played live. I may actually have to use my own money to play if things don't turn around in my next session.

Six weeks ago, I started with $300, added another $600 two weeks later from my PS cashout. In two weeks, my BR reached a height of $3138. I used $1000 for personal expenses (car repair, household goods). Week 3 and 4 were rough, where I lost $1108. Week 5 and 6 I rebounded a bit, winning $1064. I used $225 for personal expenses from week 3 to week 6, putting my BR at $1869 to start week 6.

Five straight sessions without a win has my bankroll teetering on the brink of busto. In those five sessions, I've lost $1440. I keep getting it in good against a donkey who calls my pfr with T6o, J4o, T4s, etc, flops a pair or weak draw, gets it in bad and sucks out.

I'm playing well. I'm not tilt-calling off in bad spots. Example: I held QQ, raised pf, got 1 caller (a player I had pegged as a calling station). Flop KQ4. Bet the pot. Villain calls. Turn T. I bet 3/4 pot. Villain calls. River J. I bet 1/3 pot and villain went all in. I folded, face-up. Villain showed ATo.

The above has become a recurring theme of 2nd best vs calling stations.
KK vs 52o. (Obv I raised pf, villain called from BB.) Flop 529sss (I have Ks). Bet, call. Turn Qh, bet, call. river Jc, bet, call.
QQ vs A3s, aipf. Board:667A9.
Called pfr w/AhTh vs QQ. Flop Tc6hTd, check-called. Donked turn 8h for half pot. River Qh. Donk-called a min raise. I would have folded if I hadn't made the flush.
AA vs J6s. He makes 2 pair.
AJ vs 99. Flop J64ss. Villain overbet the flop, I shoved. He calls my all-in thinking I have a draw. Turn 9.

The pot that really hurt last night was this one, even though it's not a bad beat:
Stack sizes: At the start of the hand, I have 90BB, villain has 110BB.
I'm dealt QsJs in MP. 2 limpers, I raise 5x. 3 callers.
Flop comes TsJh4s.
1 check, villain donks, I raise, folds back to villain who reraises. I thought about just calling. Villain's most likely holding is JT. 44 is also a possibility. I'm discounting naked straight or flush draws because this player would just call rather than reraise. So I think about the math. Against AJ/KJ, I'm a slight underdog. Against JT, it's basically the same, a slight underdog. Against a set it's a bit worse but not horrible.
I decide there's just too much equity to fold it. And if my flush comes, I don't want my opponent freezing up. I shove. Villain insta-calls and shows Th4h for bottom 2.
I'm actually a 52/47 favorite. But, I have to hit. Turn is the 8h.
Now I have more outs, but it can't be a heart.
River 5h.

Look, I realize that when the money went in, I was behind. I accept that. I own it. I just don't accept that I continue to play better cards and the donkeys are constantly getting lucky with trash. I realize bad beats happen. I just have a hard time swallowing the frequency with which I'm getting beat this week.

I just feel like I'm playing well, getting my money in good on a regular basis, and while I'm not happy with my results, I accept the concept that results and play are not directly connected in the short-term. Nevertheless, it is hurting my confidence in both my play and in the poker gods. I don't care who it is, when you're running bad, you can't feel 100% confident.
M

Sign of a live poker player

I was in McAlester, OK Monday. Going through a small town on my way home, I was pulled over for doing 63 in a 50 zone. The officer asked for my ID. I immediately opened my wallet and handed him my River Spirit player's club card.

True story.

M

Notable quote

"I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them."--Thomas Jefferson