Ahead Of The Rake

Hmm, not sure if the fact you think they're big calls is an indication that I call too much because they seem pretty std to me. Interested in other thoughts...

Originally Posted by bjsaust

Hmm, not sure if the fact you think they're big calls is an indication that I call too much because they seem pretty std to me.

If it's indicative of anything it's that I lack experience. I did pose it as a sort of question, or seeking affirmation at the very least - which you were kind enough to offer. They're spots that I'm just beginning to "see" more clearly so, in my mind, when I've thought it through, call, and take down the pot it's a huge victory (as oppose to the plethora of spewy river calls I'm accustomed to making). Obv I realize I could just as easily have lost these hands but the fact I understood (or nearly did) why I was calling is the real achievement for me here.

stop owning you might curse those around you to downswong

only so much good karma to go around

Originally Posted by al yell

Originally Posted by bjsaust

Hmm, not sure if the fact you think they're big calls is an indication that I call too much because they seem pretty std to me.

If it's indicative of anything it's that I lack experience. I did pose it as a sort of question, or seeking affirmation at the very least - which you were kind enough to offer. They're spots that I'm just beginning to "see" more clearly so, in my mind, when I've thought it through, call, and take down the pot it's a huge victory (as oppose to the plethora of spewy river calls I'm accustomed to making). Obv I realize I could just as easily have lost these hands but the fact I understood (or nearly did) why I was calling is the real achievement for me here.

I agree with both of your assessments. These don't seem to be anything but standard to me but your realm of understanding has broadened from it, and those who are wise will never see the acquisition of knowledge as a bad thing. Keep it up.

#28 is my favorite.

Made a bit despite losing w/OESFD vs set, AK to QQ and getting sucked out by 77 on a Q74 w/QQ.

Bluffament:

#30 No-Limit Hold'em, $0.50 BB (6 handed)

SB ($49.83) 19/9 over 2.3k hands
Hero (BB) ($64.48)
UTG ($50.75)
MP ($48.75)
CO ($10.34)
Button ($113.54)

Preflop: Hero is BB with 8, A
4 folds, SB bets $1.25, Hero calls $1

Flop: ($3) K, 2, 6 (2 players)
SB bets $2, Hero raises $7.25, SB calls $5.25

Turn: ($17.50) J (2 players)
SB checks, Hero bets $13.73, SB calls $13.73

River: ($44.96) J (2 players)
SB checks, Hero bets $42 (All-In), 1 fold


And here's one that was grossly misplaced by not betting the Turn:

#31 No-Limit Hold'em, $0.50 BB (6 handed)

Hero (Button) ($82.59)
SB ($50.57)
BB ($66.58)
UTG ($52.87)
MP ($90.19)
CO ($96.35)

Preflop: Hero is Button with K, Q
2 folds, CO bets $1.75, Hero calls $1.75, 2 folds

Flop: ($4.25) K, Q, Q (2 players)
CO bets $2.50, Hero calls $2.50

Turn: ($9.25) J (2 players)
CO checks, Hero checks

River: ($9.25) A (2 players)
CO bets $7, Hero raises $18.63, CO raises $43.25, Hero calls $31.62

Total pot: $109.75

Results:
Hero had K, Q (full house, Queens over Kings).
CO had Q, J (full house, Queens over Jacks).
Outcome: Hero won $106.75

yeah bet the turn with kq there and as played raise the river to 27ish or something bigger.

rofl

Girl's Costume Warehouse

Is it wrong I thought sexy nun was one of the best?

Originally Posted by dranger7070

Is it wrong I thought sexy nun was one of the best?

Hard to beat with those knee-high socks with crosses on them! The sexy 1900's steel conglomerate tycoon makes me lol.

Rough day. It was doomswitched before I even woke up. The utility company rolled around at like 9am and the dog started barking which woke me. Couple other unexpected visitors shortly thereafter so didn't get much sleep. I prob should not have played but I had decided today was going to be my last day for October and was going to try to make it a long one. If I hadn't prepped myself that way I prob wouldn't have felt so committed to actually playing and would have saved myself the frustration that ensued.

Anyhow, hit my stop loss real fast. Breaked, played lower and made a bit back. There were no real 'wtf' hands but I may just be eager to tune out for a few days and didn't look real hard. I'll have my results for the month posted by Sunday. I took a quick glance and I'm sure there will be plenty to discuss. Until then I'm getting my freak on...

Happy Halloween!

who is the scary demon on the left?

yikes!

I'm wrecked. Got a little nutty at a party last night. At one point I was somehow coerced by a friend to swap costumes with her and proceeded to parade around in a gypsy costume for an hour. I remember seeing a lot of camera flashes.


OCTOBER STATS
Any help/criticism, etc. is always greatly appreciated.
clicking the ImageShack image after clicking these thumbnails will give you a full view

Graph


Stakes


Position


Preflop


Recap

Some things I did that I think helped my game included:
- diet/exercise
- playing shorter sessions
- stop loss
- practicing a few particular areas of my game at a time
- blogging/discussions
- making a psychological and emotional commitment
- putting on relaxing music/sounds
- getting up to stretch at regular intervals

Things that hurt it:
- poor sleeping habits
- general laziness
- fear/anxiety/uncertainty

Seeing my results my initial thoughts are:
- I made money!
- my post-flop games needs tons of work.
- I need to increase the amount of hours I play a day
- what worked at 25nl evidently didn't translate well to 50nl

Quick note to self:
Rethinking things moving forward.. I think I'd like to implement a trailing stop-loss that is a percentage of BR as oppose to fixed # of bi's. I would also like to spread the $ around to two key sites with decent traffic plus one floating portion for grinding out bonus. Do much more fish hunting that would include playing tables slightly above (and below) the stakes for which I'm rolled or comfortable playing. Also mix in more of a variety of games (cash, SnG, tourney's, etc.)

Essentially I don't believe I'm making the most of my time and will continue to think about in what ways I can fix that.

This is 6max correct?

You are playing tighter than optimal. You're still doing alright though but I think you may be good enough now to start opening up your game. Basically start stealing on the button alottt more, then on the cutoff etc. You can 3bet more too, preferably from in position (BU/CO) you can 3bet/squeeze more as bulffs (or 'semibluffs' depending on how you look at it) Opening up a little here will probably bring your numbers up to like 19/15 or so, so that's a start.

It will take some time, make changes gradually. I suggest watching some videos, talking with other players who are looser than you etc. to learn how to navigate playing more hands properly, otherwise it could result in a spewy disaster. Essentially, you need to be looking for thinner spots that involve position+aggression etc. to exploit villains who either fold too much, call too much than c/f flops, and so on. (i.e when you run 15/12, you aren't exploiting the other guys running 15/12 really, you're exploiting the fish, but you're missing out on the small profits from pounding on other regulars who won't play back)

Flamed out of a $5 20k GTD and first few hundred cash hands today were a straight nosedive but after taking a short break things went much better. I found myself 3betting the regs much more frequently and c/r certain flop textures w/backdoor draws, etc. and took down several pots I normally would have simply given up on.

I also disabled my HUD today. I think recently it's caused me to make more mistakes than correct decisions so I will prob go back to playing without it for a while.

Going for thing value here.

No-Limit Hold'em, $0.50 BB (6 handed)

Hero (SB) ($67.10)
BB ($30.54)
UTG ($55.91)
MP ($50.79)
CO ($50)
Button ($55.33)

Preflop: Hero is SB with 10, 10
3 folds, Button calls $0.50, Hero bets $2, 1 fold, Button calls $1.75

Flop: ($5) 5, 8, Q (2 players)
Hero bets $3.54, Button calls $3.54

Turn: ($12.08) Q (2 players)
Hero bets $8.14, Button calls $8.14

River: ($28.36) 8 (2 players)
Hero bets $17.91, Button calls $17.91

Total pot: $64.18

Results:
Button had 9, 9 (two pair, Queens and nines).
Hero had 10, 10 (two pair, Queens and tens).
Outcome: Hero won $61.18

Originally Posted by Micro2Macro

This is 6max correct?

It is. Thanks for taking the time to review these M. It's of great help.

Hah nice pic. I was maverick and genitruc was gonna be goose but chickened out

Anyway, first reaction to those stats is : WTF how can you rail me and still only have a 3% 3-bet, that is just madness. BUT! you made money and that is what`s most important, looking good. Gl in november.

Originally Posted by Ravageur

Hah nice pic. I was maverick and genitruc was gonna be goose but chickened out

Damn, you just inspired a great idea with your movie themed costume idea. Think: Die Hard.... "Ay! John boy!"

Originally Posted by Ravageur

....how can you rail me and still only have a 3% 3-bet

I guess the only thing I've retained from those rails is that it's not possible to win flips.

Ok, so been busy tearing up my front porch which is a large, thick cement slab. I rented a jack hammer and think I tore an abdominal muscle using it. Anyhow, with that out of the way I can concentrate a bit more on poker.

Fired up a few 100nl tables today. Went decent but ended in a frustrating disconnection where I rivered the stone cold nuts in a rr pot, deep and the guy donked, i raised, he tanked and "POOF"... table disappeared. I couldn't get back on the table afterward so I still have no idea how the hand played out. I'm waiting to hear from Support.

I've experienced a bit of an awakening of sorts in regards to my ability to put several pieces of the puzzle together. "Poker Vision" if you will. Not only having to do with actual decisions at the table but an overall attitude and understanding of the ebb and flow of the whole experience of grinding. i.e. seeing the big picture. These are always exciting levels of achievement because it means that the next noticeable leap forward will require much more effort, creativity and subtlety. And in this the challenge is never ending.

fk me. I'm a fool for trying to play with so many distractions. I've been here before. I recognize that I'm on the verge of spewing tons, playing poorly, etc. I cannot allow myself to play until I regroup.

I want to play so it shouldn't take long but there's definitely something not right in my head right now. Part of it is having psyched myself out about having to move sites b/c the bonus kinda sucks. But I'm making money there which is what matters. A little impatience has crept in too. I'm just glad that I was able to step back in time to anticipate and neutralize all this. My past approach would have been to try to push through and keep grinding but the disease can't be its own cure in this case.

i almost ate a 300g chocolate bar in its entire in one sitting and now i'm sitting here in the dark all nervous imagining someone prowling just outside my house because the dog keeps sniffing at the front door. I'm fucking wired beyond belief.

.. i'm in the process of re-allocating funds to grind out a new signup bonus so am playing the waiting game.. What little I have played this month has not gone well ..

some firsts this weekend:
[x] drove my dream car (BMW)
[x] played $2/$5 live for a few hours at the casino

... thx boys!

I'm still waiting for my funds to be transferred. I'll be sure never to be caught in this predicament again by juggling the money around more strategically.

Felt like total garbage earlier (Sunday) and so did some catching up of Mad Men Season 3. Breezed through 4 episodes in one sitting. Amazing.

what kind of bmw?

any pikes?

Originally Posted by Micro2Macro

what kind of bmw?

this particular one was a 535i (i think). And when I say the it's my dream car I mean BMW's in general are cars I admire. Truth be told I'm not a "car guy". Additionally my preferred mode of transportation is a motorcycle. I have a 750cc Yamaha Virago '88.

So to pass the time I ended up at Full Tilt grinding some micros where, lo and behold, I was offered a $500 bonus which was apparently distributed to select players (I grinded out the sign up bonus a long time ago). So my immediate plan is to buckle down and grind that shit out - which will be a treat for me 'cause I love the software. Feels good to finally have something to focus on. Feels like I've been twiddling my thumbs for an eternity.

FT bonus grind is going well. I've managed to clear nearly 1/5th of it in a handful of sessions. Had a great little session last night (early this morning) 2 tabling and playing uber LAG while simultaneously railing Isildur while he played Durrrr, Antonius and Ivey deep HU $500/$1000 all at once. Insanity.

Reason for fund transfer delay: someone at some point had to manually enter my email address and entered it incorrectly. No fault of mine but I had to put in another withdrawal request. Some good came of it though. Additional rakeback was deposited and due to the delay I discovered the Full Tilt bonus that awaited me. So it's all good.

Wasn't feeling it today so only played enough to clear a bit of the bonus. I only have until Dec 17th and I don't want to have to put on a huge last minute grind for not having put in enough hands. Also applied a new background the the FT tables. Easier on the eyes now and I can see the HUD in greater relief.

Played the first Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare for the first time today. Mind blowing.

Strangely, I'm looking forward to the holidays to an extent that I haven't in several years. I wonder why.

tite puff tekrepas

Originally Posted by Genitruc

tite puff tekrepas

home sng's, spaghetti in the cold, cirque du soleil, a handful of friends with their noses buried in their laptops, Die Hard, Wii Tennis ownage... good times.

you are talking about me when you refer to the Wii ownage of course

Originally Posted by Genitruc

you are talking about me when you refer to the Wii ownage of course

easiest $100 I ever made.

Was reacquainted with an ol' friend over the weekend, Jack Daniels.. that son of a bitch. He owes me numerous Sunday mornings. Fun night though; house party.

Had a looong talk with an older friend of mine that is caught up in professional roulette. No worries though, he's got a plan! :sigh:

Making good headway on the FT bonus and booking more winning sessions than losing ones, so all in all things are going well.

Was reacquainted with an ol' friend over the weekend, Jack Daniels.. that son of a bitch. He owes me numerous Sunday mornings. Fun night though; house party.

Making good headway on the FT bonus and booking more winning sessions than losing ones, so all in all things are going well.

Experiencing big swing that's left me break-even after 30k hands so far this month. Couldn't hit my draws, win a flip or avoid 6 outers over the last nearly 3k hands. Not much to be done really. Chalk it up to variance imo.

Due to the fact I'm trying to clear a bonus the poker I've been playing is not terribly interesting. It's super TAG over 9 to 12 tables at mostly 50nl. Occasionally I'll open one or two tables and run them over for an hour. But while I'm bonus whoring I won't be doing this as often as I'd like (or should). Priority is to build that roll and right now chasing free money seems to be a good way to go about it.

On another note I have to do something about my sleep..
[ ] no eating 2 or 3 hours before bed
[ ] nothing stimulating at least an hour before bed.
[ ] wake up to an alarm (I haven't done this routinely for as long as I can remember)
[ ] Dump my day's baggage in a journal/poker blog and fucking forget about it
[ ] Meditate, stretch or something relaxing right before laying down

Well as quickly as I swung down over the last couple sessions I swung back up today during - what was for me - an epic grind of nearly 5k hands. I feel good about my approach to the games I'm playing right now even though I have the occasional inner dispute that goes, "You're not learning anything 12 tabling like a nit" blah blah.. To a degree I see how it's true that I can't efficiently or consistently pick up reads and I surely miss out on a lot of spots etc. That being said I don't handle variance very well and what I'm doing right now is certainly low variance albeit not optimal poker. If I had to worry about exploitability it would be a different story but so far it doesn't appear to be the case.

Also I'd like to chronicle a significant achievement. Near Summer's end I took a shot at 200nl with 20 buy-ins which I busted fairly quickly. A few days after that loss a couple hundred worth of rake was deposited into my account which I proceeded to grind with implementing an aggressive but disciplined BR management approach. It became my goal to grind back what I'd lost with what little I had without depositing. If I failed I'm fairly certain I would have walked away from poker - at least professionally. As of this writing I have successfully earned back the full allocated portion I used for the shot. In retrospect, losing all that money was prob one of the best things that could have happened 'cause I got real serious about improving after that. It's funny to say that because I'd been playing almost every day for a year and half at that point with mixed results.

Lastly I couldn't dream of even having a shot at poker without the amazing support system I am fortunate to have, not excluding recent FTR'ers that have taken the time to check in on my progress now and again and reply to hh posts, etc. Many thanks.

P.S. I have this impression that every time I share positive results I immediately experience a big downswing. Well, fk that imo. It's all in my head and there's no reason why I can't continue to do well, in fact I WILL continue to do well.

November.

vnice.. keep posting hands, and keep griiiiindinggg!!!

gl in dec.

Nice job at keeping that roll moving forward, good luck next month.

sweet graph imo and looks exactly like mine for the month, here's to a good december and genitruc's comeback

Sux when your goal for the month after only 3 days is the get back to even. Anyhow...

HANDS!
standard stuff for most of you I'm sure but still not obv to me for the most part

#33 No-Limit Hold'em, $0.50 BB (5 handed)

I'm Button. I've been trying to implement the Turn c/r in RR pots.

MP ($50)
Button ($78.05)
SB ($50.25)
Aggro 3Bettor (BB) ($50)
UTG ($60.50)

Preflop:
2 folds, Button bets $1.75, 1 fold, Aggro 3Bettor raises $4, Button calls $2.75

Flop: ($9.25) 9, 3, Q (2 players)
Aggro 3Bettor checks, Button checks

Turn: ($9.25) 4 (2 players)
Aggro 3Bettor bets $6, Button raises $14.50, 1 fold



#34No-Limit Hold'em, $0.50 BB (4 handed)

Hero (SB) ($65.25)
BB ($50.75)
UTG ($50)
Solid TAG (Button) ($71.75)

Preflop: Hero is SB with K, K
2 folds, Solid TAG bets $1.50, Hero calls $1

Flop: ($3) A, 8, 6 (2 players)
Hero checks, Solid TAG bets $2, Hero calls $2

Turn: ($7) 4 (2 players)
Hero checks, Solid TAG checks

River: ($7) Q (2 players)
Hero bets $4.60, Solid TAG raises $11, Hero calls $6.40

Total pot: $29

I know bluff/call kinda sux and I should be rr if I think he's value betting thin or turning his hand into a bluff. But seeing as how I didn't know if he was capable of doing that I was looking him up here for the info.

Results:
Solid TAG had 9, 7 (high card, Ace).
Hero had K, K (one pair, Kings).
Outcome: Hero won $27.55



#35 No-Limit Hold'em, $0.50 BB (6 handed)

MP ($49.50)
CO ($70.70)
Button ($39.80)
LAGtard (SB) ($29)
Hero (BB) ($61.35)
UTG ($11.65)

Preflop: Hero is BB with 10, A
4 folds, LAGtard bets $0.75, Hero raises $3, LAGtard calls $2.50

Flop: ($7) 3, 7, 4 (2 players)
LAGtard checks, Hero bets $4.60, LAGtard calls $4.60

Turn: ($16.20) 2 (2 players)
LAGtard checks, Hero checks

Here I was actually trying to induce the shove. I knew the poor fuck just couldn't help himself.

River: ($16.20) 10 (2 players)
LAGtard checks, Hero bets $4.50, LAGtard raises $20.90 (All-In), Hero calls $16.40

Total pot: $58

Results:
LAGtard had 4, A (one pair, fours).
Hero had 10, A (one pair, tens).
Outcome: Hero won $55.10



#36 No-Limit Hold'em, $0.50 BB (6 handed)

CO ($56.75)
Button ($92.65)
Hero (SB) ($54.35)
TAG (BB) ($54.50)
UTG ($78.80)
MP ($32.90)

Preflop: Hero is SB with A, A
2 folds, CO calls $0.50, 1 fold, Hero bets $1.75, TAG calls $1.50, CO calls $1.50

Flop: ($6) 10, 10, 10 (3 players)
Hero checks, TAG bets $4, 1 fold, Hero calls $4

Here before calling the rr on the Turn I had a little fun in the chat (which I knew he was reading because he was mouthing off to someone earlier). I wrote "66?" hoping he had precisely what he had. Now he obv thinks I have 77 or maybe 55 depending on his interpretation. Since I felt he was capable of folding his mid-pair I did this to try to appear genuinely weak and get a small bet paid on the River, as I also think that after flatting his raise he won't fire again when I check to him.

Turn: ($14) 2 (2 players)
Hero bets $2, TAG raises $14, Hero calls $12

River: ($42) Q (2 players)
Hero bets $8.50, TAG calls $8.50

Total pot: $59

Results:
Hero had A, A (full house, tens over Aces).
TAG had 88
Outcome: Hero won $56.05



#37 No-Limit Hold'em, $0.50 BB (5 handed)

SB ($52.60)
Hero (BB) ($50)
UTG ($56.95)
Tight-ish (MP) ($64.65)
Button ($9.40)

Preflop: Hero is BB with Q, K
1 fold, Tight-ish bets $1.75, 2 folds, Hero calls $1.25

Flop: ($3.75) 7, 4, 2 (2 players)
Hero checks, Tight-ish bets $2.50, Hero calls $2.50

Looking at this now I think I prefer c/c the Turn. Though I sometimes get him to fold the better hand I set myself up for a pretty gross shove/hate life & fold. I'm on the fence. The 8 I think is a good card. I would certainly play my sets/two pair/straights this way.

Fortunately I've acquired the skill of sucking out so it's all good.

Turn: ($8.75) 8 (2 players)
Hero checks, Tight-ish bets $5, Hero raises $15, Tight-ish calls $10

River: ($38.75) J (2 players)
Hero bets $30.75 (All-In), Tight-ish calls $30.75

Total pot: $100.25

Results:
Hero had Q, K (flush, King high).
Tight-ish had 7h9h
Outcome: Hero won $97.25

Ok... One of this blog's functions was to serve as a place to dump my poker baggage but I've avoided doing this due to frustration which completely defeats the purpose. It's a form of denial/self-deception so I'm going to spill the beans right now..

Last 3 months were great. Played a combination of decent volume + positive winrate. Thought I was on my way to building that roll up to play a stake that I could grind for "real world" money. Alas, I don't know if I got soft or just expected to continue winning and so on.. but my results for December so far are bleh.

First session of the month was up 4bi's at 100nl but that was the last winning session I had. As of this writing I'm currently down:
2bi's @ 100nl
8bi's @ 50nl
2.5bi's @ 25nl
10bi's @ 10nl

At first, based on meticulous session reviews, I was running really bad. The point at which I moved down to 25nl I started to notice some awful plays, hence the quick drop to 10nl. So, as much as I don't want to be grinding 10nl right now, I have a goal for December:

Make up my losses at each stake. This will start by eliminating the spewy plays I've caught myself making over the last few sessions. gogogo.

this hand pretty much encapsulates the last two weeks. fk me.

No-Limit Hold'em, $0.10 BB (5 handed)

SB ($9.85)
BB ($14.17)
UTG ($11.49)
Hero (MP) ($15.49)
Button ($9.85)

Preflop: Hero is MP with A, J
UTG bets $0.20, Hero raises $0.80, 3 folds, UTG raises $11.29 (All-In), Hero calls $10.69

Flop: ($23.13) 9, 2, K (2 players, 1 all-in)

Turn: ($23.13) K (2 players, 1 all-in)

River: ($23.13) K (2 players, 1 all-in)

Total pot: $23.13

Results:
UTG had 8, 9 (full house, Kings over nines).
Hero had A, J (three of a kind, Kings).
Outcome: UTG won $21.59

hit & run obv.

update: my little 'run back up the stakes' project has been nothing but one long disappointment . I actually almost logged in to write how enthusiastic I was about poker lately despite recent results, but now I just feel like breaking something. Emotional variance is high. The ratio of running bad and playing bad is now probably 50/50. At least I still have the discipline to stay put at a lower stake until I dig my way out of this avalanche.

hey man,

Hang in there. Shit happens sometimes. You wouldnt have reached 100NL without some sort of skill/edge.

Just wondering - did you have a read that made you wanna stack off with AJs against UTG's reraise? Barring a read that suggests villian is a complete maniac, this looks a little loose to me.

wasn t the read the fact that you were playing mini-cheeseburger stakes?

start running well and get your nutsack back to nl100 imo

Originally Posted by acoss3006

hey man,

Hang in there. Shit happens sometimes. You wouldnt have reached 100NL without some sort of skill/edge.

Just wondering - did you have a read that made you wanna stack off with AJs against UTG's reraise? Barring a read that suggests villian is a complete maniac, this looks a little loose to me.

Villain was indeed a definitive maniac. Bought in for $2 and had two moves. Open shove or limp/call > shove flop with any piece.

Originally Posted by Genitruc

wasn t the read the fact that you were playing mini-cheeseburger stakes?

start running well and get your nutsack back to nl100 imo

my nutsack is roasting over an open fire

christmas season

December: 78k hands (10nl to 100nl), down $600 after rakeback.

Confidence and enthusiasm are at an all time high. Encouraged that I am continually finding ways to improve. Biggest improvement in'09 - which incidentally paved the way for the greatest progress - was with self-management.

General goals for 2010 aside from improving on poker include:
- upgrade my computer
- travel (already booked a trip to Vegas so far)
- release a new collection of original compositions
- reintroduce Martial Arts training into my routine (Yang & Chen style Taijiquan + Northern Seven Star Praying Mantis Kung Fu)
- tune up my motorcycle in time for riding season
- do more leisurely reading


Health and prosperity to all.

Cheers.

Though I realize this day is just yesterday's tomorrow the idea that we get a "fresh" start is such a useful, self-deceptive, psychological tool. Beginning a "new year" is a great opportunity to effectively drop so much baggage by the wayside, clearing the way for greater focus, resilience, enthusiasm and confidence.

Here's what I'm thinking...

* playing with a slightly less conservative BR management creating a balance between risk and having losses sting a little. This is quite the opposite of what I intuitively thought would appeal to me more. The payoff here is greater focus and motivation.

* playing fewer tables at the top of my BR threshold. Though I've adapted what I consider to be a decent mass tabling approach to low stakes it doesn't make for interesting poker. Simply churning out a decent winrate just doesn't cut it. The real stimulation and reward for me right now is in learning/improving and I can only really accomplish this by reducing the incoming data to a frequency that I can receive without fragmentation. The money will be the byproduct.

* 'I am self-employed and have, without question, one of the greatest jobs imaginable.' This is simply an illustration of the tone and attitude I will take moving forward.

* playing shorter sessions because if looking back has taught me anything it's that no matter whether I'm winning or losing I play badly without frequent rests. My denial of this observation has cost me plenty.

--

Here's a fun hand from today. My only read is his stack size which indicates to me that he's probably not that great.

No-Limit Hold'em, $1.00 BB (6 handed) - Hold'em Manager Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com

SB ($111.95)
Hero (BB) ($143.75)
UTG ($41.60)
MP ($225.50)
CO ($49.55)
Button ($236.90)

Preflop: Hero is BB with 7, 7
UTG bets $2, 2 folds, Button calls $2, 1 fold, Hero calls $1

Flop: ($6.50) 8, A, 8 (3 players)
Hero checks, UTG checks, Button checks

Turn: ($6.50) 7 (3 players)
Hero checks, UTG bets $5, 1 fold, Hero calls $5

River: ($16.50) 2 (2 players)
Hero bets $2, UTG raises $34.60 (All-In), Hero calls $32.60

Total pot: $85.70

Results:
Hero had 7, 7 (full house, sevens over eights).
UTG had 3, 3 (two pair, eights and threes).
Outcome: Hero won $82.70

what s your calling range for that riv?

Originally Posted by Genitruc

what s your calling range for that riv?

question piege imo

Originally Posted by Genitruc

what s your calling range for that riv?

AA, 88, 77, A8, 87, maybe AK. Are you implying that it should be wider given I'm trying to induce?

bingo

and again...

No-Limit Hold'em, $1.00 BB (6 handed) - Hold'em Manager Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com

UTG ($103.05)
Hero (MP) ($106.50)
CO ($35.80)
Button ($78.80)
SB ($109.40)
BB ($120.65)

Preflop: Hero is MP with 5, A
1 fold, Hero bets $3.50, 1 fold, Button calls $3.50, 2 folds

Flop: ($8.50) 5, A, 9 (2 players)
Hero bets $5.60, Button calls $5.60

Turn: ($19.70) 5 (2 players)
Hero bets $10, Button calls $10

River: ($39.70) 6 (2 players)
Hero bets $4, Button raises $59.70 (All-In), Hero calls $55.70

Total pot: $159.10

Results:
Button had 3, 3 (two pair, fives and threes).
Hero had 5, A (full house, fives over Aces).
Outcome: Hero won $156.10

it's amazing what this did for my image..

No-Limit Hold'em, $1.00 BB (6 handed)

UTG ($144.10)
MP ($104.70)
CO ($108)
Button ($355.40)
Hero (SB) ($139.85)
BB ($100)

Preflop: Hero is SB with Q, A
1 fold, MP bets $3, 2 folds, Hero raises $10.50, 1 fold, MP calls $8

Flop: ($23) K, 5, 7 (2 players)
Hero bets $13, MP calls $13

Turn: ($49) 10 (2 players)
Hero bets $115.85 (All-In), MP calls $80.70 (All-In)

River: ($210.40) 5 (2 players, 2 all-in)

Total pot: $210.40

Results:
Hero had Q, A (one pair, fives).
MP had K, Q (two pair, Kings and fives).
Outcome: MP won $207.40

gahh.. it was a HUGE mistake to not raise the River. It's just that my read was that he was a bit maniacal and had only seen him pot the river a handful of times with the nuts. He'd shoved a few Rivers but those never went to showdown so there's no telling if he would have shipped it here.

No-Limit Hold'em, $1.00 BB (6 handed)

BB ($101.50)
UTG ($292.75)
MP ($107.10)
CO ($426.40)
Hero (Button) ($245.80)
SB ($101)

Preflop: Hero is Button with A, 6
1 fold, MP bets $4, CO calls $4, Hero calls $4, 1 fold, BB calls $3

Flop: ($16.50) A, 7, 5 (4 players)
BB checks, MP checks, CO bets $4, Hero calls $4, 2 folds

Turn: ($24.50) 8 (2 players)
CO bets $4, Hero calls $4

River: ($32.50) 4 (2 players)
CO bets $32.50, Hero calls $32.50

Total pot: $97.50

Results:
Hero had A, 6 (straight, eight high).
CO had 4, A (two pair, Aces and fours).
Outcome: Hero won $94.50

I don't know what significance this can have in the long run but I'm pretty torn up about it right now. I normally avoid telling beats but I'm afraid of the consequences of not getting this off my chest.

The villain from the A6o hand I posted above is the opponent in question in all these hands. He turned out to be an absolute whale/spew monkey. Calling any amount pf, randomly opening for 21bb, playing 100% face up on the River, min-betting every other street with nuts or air, half-potting his marginal hands. I had this guy in my pocket. I sat and played him for over 5 hours. He easily gave away 8 buy-ins or so. Problem is most of them were mine. They eventually made their way into the stacks of the 3 players to his right. By the time the table broke they all had 300bb+ stacks and I was down a bunch. So I just suck right?

My KJ vs his K7 on AKK7x

A4s vs A9o on A94 where he was UTG and I flat.

KK where he opened for 20bb pf, I shove, 2 callers. gg QQ on Qxx (whale showed JTs)

Made quads, boats and nut flushes that never got paid.

JT vs JJ on 3J2T

QQ vs AJ pf

a few mid sized pots where I chased down flushes and open-enders to no avail.

JJ vs AA on 53799 where he minB/call all the way down


So where I was having a good month by most standards - up a bit with rakeback after ~8k hands (mostly 2 to 4 tabling) I'm now facing an uphill battle. I'm not particularly emo and can be pretty objective about these things. I'm certainly no stranger to running bad or big downswings. But I honestly sat for a solid 20 minutes after this session staring into an empty plate in the kitchen and teared up a bit. If I felt I had played badly I would have reacted differently. But this was one of those, "The universe is conspiring against me" moments. Anyhow.. (sigh) thx for reading.

if you think you re running bad, read internet pokers' latest blog entry

Originally Posted by Genitruc

if you think you re running bad, read internet pokers' latest blog entry

Damn. Those are the kinda things you want to believe never actually happen.

As for my 'running bad' I do have some perspective. I'm just frustrated. I think I may be putting too much pressure on myself. Whereas in a more conventional undertaking the pressure might help, with this it might even be counter-productive. I've also found myself being fairly result oriented about my results, if that makes sense.

I've decided to tackle some HU tables. I, for some reason, keep neglecting that I a) like playing HU more than any other structure b) do fairly well so long as I manage to avoid solid opponents - though I've learned a bit about dealing with them recently. I'm up a couple stacks this morning from some 50nl play.

Just played a HU match with the most passive player imaginable. He played everything face up and never continued without a hand. I made the simple adjustment of being relentlessly aggressive - including betting 100% of the time he checked post flop - and conversely giving up to any aggression on his part. He never adjusted, 3bet only for value and never ever EVER bluffed. He was handing his stack over to me a little bit at a time when, obv, he sucked out on me and left. Fun game.

all in on Qxx w/KK vs his AQ

Total current loss for Jan is 1.5k

I know what you mean. I had a 3 handed game on a full ring table last night with an opponent nearly fitting that description. It was easy money until I get a full house and he has quads and wipe away all my profits. Fortunately he didn't leave, but unfortunately, it was too late and I had to logoff to sleep.

If you wanna do some ghost sessions while playing HU let me know. I've been spending alot of time studying it lately.

Originally Posted by Micro2Macro

If you wanna do some ghost sessions while playing HU let me know. I've been spending alot of time studying it lately.

PM'ed

--

Oddly enough I spent a couple hours yesterday spewing away bi's to maniacs that were shipping it in with bottom pair, 4bet/call w/J7s, never folding TP etc. and then made it all back in 45 minutes playing an opponent against whom I picked up a very important read: He was an aggro 3bettor and pure station post flop but only ever put money in on the River with a hand. He always checked back air and given that I'd owned him at showdown a few times in the beginning he was giving my River bets far more credit than they deserved in the later part of our match.


Very early hand..


No-Limit Hold'em, $0.50 BB (2 handed) - Hold'em Manager Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com

BB ($64.05)
Hero (SB) ($91.40)

Preflop: Hero is SB with K, J
Hero bets $1.25, BB raises $4.50, Hero calls $3.50

Flop: ($10) 2, 3, J (2 players)
BB bets $6, Hero calls $6

Turn: ($22) 6 (2 players)
BB checks, Hero bets $13.50, BB calls $13.50

River: ($49) 2 (2 players)
BB checks, Hero checks

Total pot: $49

Results:
Hero had K, J (two pair, Jacks and twos).
BB showed 34s
Outcome: Hero won $48.50


A little later...


No-Limit Hold'em, $0.50 BB (2 handed) - Hold'em Manager Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com

BB ($99.35)
Hero (SB) ($125.10)

Preflop: Hero is SB with 9, 10
Hero bets $1.25, BB raises $4.50, Hero calls $3.50

Flop: ($10) K, J, 6 (2 players)
BB bets $6, Hero calls $6

Turn: ($22) 7 (2 players)
BB checks, Hero bets $13, BB calls $13

River: ($48) J (2 players)
BB checks, Hero bets $28.50, 1 fold

Total pot: $48

Results:
Hero had 9, 10 (one pair, Jacks).
Outcome: Hero won $76


Shortly before he quit me... (his play was beginning to indicate he was frustrated)


No-Limit Hold'em, $0.50 BB (2 handed) - Hold'em Manager Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com

SB ($61.10)
Hero (BB) ($50.50)

Preflop: Hero is BB with J, A
SB bets $1.25, Hero raises $4.50, SB calls $3.50

Flop: ($10) A, 8, 3 (2 players)
Hero bets $6.60, SB calls $6.60

Turn: ($23.20) 5 (2 players)
Hero bets $15.30, SB raises $49.50 (All-In), Hero calls $23.60 (All-In)

River: ($101) 5 (2 players, 2 all-in)

Total pot: $101

Results:
SB had K, 8 (two pair, eights and fives).
Hero had J, A (two pair, Aces and fives).
Outcome: Hero won $100.50

KJ - I would usually just go ahead and try to raise/get it in on the flop 100bb deep without further reads.
9T - 18-ish on the turn... you still only need > 25%FE to break even, you have a very well disguised draw, and you're almost definitely getting payed off by his turn calling range in case you hit.
I hate the river bet. If he's going to fold to 28, he's going to fold to 15. But that's just about the worst card to bluff imo. You're probably getting looked up by A high there a lot
AJ is fine in every way imo.

thx for your insight oskar. 'preciate it.

--

Running good. I quit this guy early though because he was experiencing some serious connection problems.


No-Limit Hold'em, $0.50 BB (2 handed) - Hold'em Manager Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com

Hero (SB) ($50)
BB ($63.35)

Preflop: Hero is SB with 10, 9
Hero bets $1.25, BB calls $1

Flop: ($3) K, 4, J (2 players)
BB checks, Hero checks

Turn: ($3) 5 (2 players)
BB bets $3, Hero raises $10.50, BB calls $7.50

River: ($24) Q (2 players)
BB checks, Hero bets $22, BB raises $44, Hero calls $16 (All-In)

Total pot: $100

Results:
Hero had 10, 9 (straight, King high).
BB had Q, K (two pair, Kings and Queens).
Outcome: Hero won $99.50


No-Limit Hold'em, $0.50 BB (2 handed) - Hold'em Manager Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com

Hero (SB) ($92.60)
BB ($56.40)

Preflop: Hero is SB with 10, K
Hero bets $1.25, BB calls $1

Flop: ($3) 9, Q, 3 (2 players)
BB checks, Hero bets $2.25, BB raises $7.50, Hero calls $5.25

Turn: ($18) J (2 players)
BB bets $14, Hero calls $14

River: ($46) 10 (2 players)
BB bets $33.40 (All-In), Hero calls $33.40

Total pot: $112.80

Results:
Hero had 10, K (straight, King high).
BB had 3, 3 (three of a kind, threes).
Outcome: Hero won $112.30

I may be on to something here...

LOL!

my graph for this month looks the same, straight line down at FR then BOOM, up billions playing HU.

made a royal flush today.

No-Limit Hold'em, $0.50 BB (2 handed) - Hold'em Manager Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com

SB ($56)
Hero (BB) ($67.50)

Preflop: Hero is BB with A, K
SB bets $1.25, Hero raises $4.50, SB calls $3.50

Flop: ($10) A, 10, J (2 players)
Hero bets $6.60, SB calls $6.60

Turn: ($23.20) Q (2 players)
Hero bets $2, SB calls $2

River: ($27.20) 8 (2 players)
Hero bets $16, 1 fold

Total pot: $27.20

implied odds + disguised hand = stack dans ma poche

No-Limit Hold'em, $0.50 BB (2 handed)

BB ($62.15)
Hero (SB) ($50.85)

Preflop: Hero is SB with 2, 4
Hero bets $1.25, BB calls $1

Flop: ($3) 10, 5, 6 (2 players)
BB checks, Hero bets $2.25, BB raises $6, Hero calls $3.75

Turn: ($15) 3 (2 players)
BB bets $9, Hero calls $9

River: ($33) 9 (2 players)
BB bets $45.65 (All-In), Hero calls $34.35 (All-In)

Total pot: $101.70

Results:
Hero had 2, 4 (straight, six high).
BB had 6, 6 (three of a kind, sixes).
Outcome: Hero won $101.20

HU play continues to go well. Ended up on the losing end of a couple small grudge matches but I've been good in avoiding them overall.

As far as I know the general consensus in HU matches is to quit an opponent when you've lost a bunch to them and, conversely to not quit them when ahead. However the following pattern has been recurring in my matches. I stack someone 2.5x to 3x then start slowly giving it back and/or getting sucked out on for 70-100bb and opponent leaves. Either my play changes subtly or I don't adjust well to a losing player who is making subtle adjustments of his own.

Also, another reason (maybe mroe important) is that I experience tilt when I've built up a big stack vs a single opponent and then lose a chunk of it. It's not logical - I'm still up - but somehow feel like I'm down. I often experience this with my overall results too. Something to work on.

Whatever the case, as counter-productive as it may seem, I've been quitting opponents when I'm up 3 buy-ins on them or after losing the first mid-sized pot after stacking them once or twice (unless they're overwhelmingly atrocious). At these low stakes the player pool is large enough that I can do this without sacrificing too much.

--
Here's a hand that earned me a couple more buyins afterward. This was early vs an unsophisticated Card Runner-type player that berated me hard after the hand:

Villain:
"WTF holy $%&*"
"NICE CBET WITH BOTTOM PAIR"
"THEN LUCKY SUCKOUT ON THE TURN"
"HOW LUCKY CAN U GET"

Hero:
"Stick around and find out."

... he found out and eventually suggested 200nl (to chase his losses obv) but backed down when I took him up on his offer.

No-Limit Hold'em, $0.50 BB (2 handed) - Hold'em Manager Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com

Hero (BB) ($54.65)
SB ($52.40)

Preflop: Hero is BB with J, 5
SB bets $1.25, Hero raises $4.50, SB calls $3.50

Flop: ($10) 10, 6, 5 (2 players)
Hero bets $7.50, SB calls $7.50

Turn: ($25) J (2 players)
Hero bets $18.75, SB calls $18.75

River: ($62.50) A (2 players)
Hero bets $23.40 (All-In), SB calls $21.15 (All-In)

Total pot: $104.80

Results:
SB showed AhKs
Hero had J, 5 (two pair, Jacks and fives).
Outcome: Hero won $106.55

I've run bad for a couple days now and I have to be very careful not to let it affect my physical health. I become deeply affected by things and my mind is such that it manifests physical reactions.

Try to imagine how batshit aggro I played to get this nit (40%VPIP/10%3bet) to do this when he'd previously stacked off only w/monsters & nut hands. Also note that he was not a station by any means.

my bet sizing is small pf + turn b/c I'd been bluffing a lot and reserved my value bets for the River where Villain hadn't given them any credit and showed no signs of adjusting. Point and case:

No-Limit Hold'em, $0.50 BB (2 handed)

BB ($119.50)
Hero (SB) ($133.15)

Preflop: Hero is SB with 3, K
Hero bets $1.25, BB raises $5, Hero calls $4

Flop: ($11) Q, 4, 8 (2 players)
BB bets $7, Hero calls $7

Turn: ($25) 7 (2 players)
BB checks, Hero bets $16.50, BB calls $16.50

River: ($58) 3 (2 players)
BB checks, Hero bets $58, BB raises $90.50 (All-In), Hero calls $32.50

Total pot: $239

Results:
Hero had 3, K (flush, King high).
BB had Q, K (one pair, Queens).
Outcome: Hero won $238.50

what a weird check-shove by him

i guess he was bloofing?

life + illness = practically no poker lately. I am itching to have a seat and get back into a groove.