Jack's Road to Maturity

Originally Posted by martindcx1e

I am so much better than these guys.

There is no room for ego at the tables Martin. It might reflect itself in your play. Just stay focused, and love bad beats (?). They will eventually even out.

Gotta love RB, I may need to start playin' in one of my RB accounts

Originally Posted by martindcx1e

but I just went through an 11 buy-in downswing at 10NL. You'd think I'm the worst player ever.

that's horrible. Glad you're at least getting some rakeback!
I should be depositing at full tilt shortly (next week perhaps?), will see you on the $10 tables for a few hands until I get used to the interface, and you get the deserved heater to $25 and beyond!

Not sure what to play there, think it will likely be $50NL FR, but I'm only just getting comfortable with $50 pots and not sure how i;ll deal with putting $50+ in the middle with any regularity, so maybe some more time at $25 first. Realising that I'm better at FR than 6-max. Time to get a decent monitor and start 8-tabling. What's rakeback/100 at $10 and $25 like?

I forgot how much these hurt.

Average stack less than 8K.

PokerStars Game #12886474866: Tournament #64650447, $10+$1 Hold'em No Limit - Level VII (150/300) - 2007/10/27 - 20:46:23 (ET)
Table '64650447 92' 9-max Seat #5 is the button
Seat 1: Avi_Tristan (10922 in chips)
Seat 2: newspaperman (16310 in chips)
Seat 3: COMODO82 (9775 in chips)
Seat 4: spanky703 (10485 in chips)
Seat 5: P-MAN1234 (2515 in chips)
Seat 6: DocMontle (7225 in chips)
Seat 7: D-Van (15355 in chips)
Seat 8: brasil1606 (9210 in chips)
Seat 9: laugh@me (2475 in chips)
Avi_Tristan: posts the ante 25
newspaperman: posts the ante 25
COMODO82: posts the ante 25
spanky703: posts the ante 25
P-MAN1234: posts the ante 25
DocMontle: posts the ante 25
D-Van: posts the ante 25
brasil1606: posts the ante 25
laugh@me: posts the ante 25
DocMontle: posts small blind 150
D-Van: posts big blind 300
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to Avi_Tristan [As Ad]
brasil1606: folds
laugh@me: folds
Avi_Tristan: raises 700 to 1000
newspaperman: folds
COMODO82: raises 2300 to 3300
spanky703: folds
P-MAN1234: folds
DocMontle: folds
D-Van: raises 3000 to 6300
Avi_Tristan: raises 4597 to 10897 and is all-in
COMODO82: folds
D-Van: calls 4597
*** FLOP *** [5d Kd Jh]
*** TURN *** [5d Kd Jh] [6s]
*** RIVER *** [5d Kd Jh 6s] [Tc]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
D-Van: shows [Kh Ks] (three of a kind, Kings)
Avi_Tristan: shows [As Ad] (a pair of Aces)
D-Van collected 25469 from pot
laugh@me said, "oj dear"
D-Van said, "wow.."
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 25469 | Rake 0
Board [5d Kd Jh 6s Tc]
Seat 1: Avi_Tristan showed [As Ad] and lost with a pair of Aces
Seat 2: newspaperman folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 3: COMODO82 folded before Flop
Seat 4: spanky703 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 5: P-MAN1234 (button) folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 6: DocMontle (small blind) folded before Flop
Seat 7: D-Van (big blind) showed [Kh Ks] and won (25469) with three of a kind, Kings
Seat 8: brasil1606 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 9: laugh@me folded before Flop (didn't bet)

Originally Posted by daven

What's rakeback/100 at $10 and $25 like?

For 10nl it's something like $5 per 1k hands (so that's like 2.5bb/100), and 25nl isn't much different...just slightly higher.

fun hand:


PokerRoom (Cash Game): $0.15/$0.15 PL , 2 players
Tue Oct 30 02:23:00 VET 2007
Powered by Poker Academy (Format: BBCode)

Hero (160 bb's)
SB (101 bb's)

SB is the button.

Precards:
SB posts the small blind 1 bb, Hero posts the big blind 1 bb.

Preflop: Hero is dealt :Jd: :Ad: (2 active)
SB bets 2 bb's, Hero raises to 9 bb's, SB calls 6 bb's.

Flop: (18 bb's, 2 active)
Hero bets 13.3 bb's, SB raises to 26.7 bb's, Hero calls 13.3 bb's.

Turn: 9 8 8 :Kd: (71.3 bb's, 2 active)
Hero checks, SB bets 30 bb's, Hero raises to 66.7 bb's, SB calls 35.3 bb's (all-in).

River: 9 8 8 K :Ac: (203.3 bb's, 2 players)

Final Pot: 195.3 bb's, 6.7 bb's raked
Hero, net: -101 bb's, Lost at showdown, has J A (a Flush, Ace High)
SB, net: 94.3 bb's, Won at showdown, has A 8 (a Full House, Eights over Aces)

Originally Posted by Jack Sawyer

I only bluff at small pots to set up future plays, but the actual value of the pot is trivial for me (as in, if I expect to bluff and win the small pot). In fact, in omaha I bluff at small pots all the time, but only to set up the future plays, not intentionally to scoop up the current pot.

The smaller the pot the better your hand has to be to continue.

example of what I mean:

PokerRoom (Cash Game): $0.15/$0.15 PL , 5 players
Tue Oct 30 04:15:00 VET 2007
Powered by Poker Academy (Format: BBCode)

SB (116 bb's)
BB (76.7 bb's)
B2 (245 bb's)
Hero (306.7 bb's)
BN (120.3 bb's)

BN is the button.

Precards:
SB posts the small blind 1 bb, BB posts the big blind 1 bb.

Preflop: Hero is dealt (5 active)
B2 calls 1 bb, Hero raises to 4 bb's, BN folds, SB calls 3 bb's, BB folds, B2 calls 3 bb's.

Flop: (13 bb's, 3 active)
SB checks, B2 bets 1 bb, Hero raises to 6.7 bb's, SB folds, B2 calls 5.7 bb's.

Turn: :Jd: (26.3 bb's, 2 active)
B2 checks, Hero bets 13.3 bb's, B2 calls 13.3 bb's.

River: (53 bb's, 2 active)
B2 checks, Hero bets 20 bb's, B2 folds.

Final Pot: 50.7 bb's, 2.3 bb's raked
Hero, net: 26.7 bb's, Won uncontested River, has 6 7 (a Pair of Sevens)
B2, net: -24 bb's, Folded River
SB, net: -4 bb's, Folded Flop
BB, net: -1 bb's, Folded Preflop

while I bet 4 streets, the pot was kept relatively small.
if he calls, he'll call me lighter on our future hands (assuming he's been paying attention and will remember this hand lol). If he doesn't, I win a relatively sizable pot with a pair of sevens.
if the pot was unraised pf, I wouldn't even bother, it would be too small and becomes too risky (?) (since I was the pf aggressor, I may get more respect, but my image is pretty shitty)

i'll bump this with a fun hand from 25nl...

$0.1/$0.25 No Limit Holdem
9 players
Converted at weaktight.com

Stacks:
UTG ($10.00)
UTG+1 ($34.20)
MP1 ($16.70)
MP2 ($6.00)
MP3 ($9.15)
CO ($12.35)
Hero ($12.15)
SB ($6.75)
BB ($24.00)
[MP2 posted $0.25]

Pre-flop: ($0.6, 9 players) Hero is BTN
UTG raises to $0.5, UTG+1 calls $0.5, MP1 raises to $0.75, MP2 calls $0.5, MP3 calls $0.75, 1 fold, Hero raises to $3, SB calls $2.9, BB calls $2.75, UTG calls $2.5, UTG+1 raises to $20, MP1 calls $15.95, MP2 calls $5.25, MP3 folds, Hero calls $9.15, SB calls $3.75, BB calls $17, UTG calls $7

Flop: ($92.35, 7 players)
BB checks, UTG+1 goes all-in $14.2, BB calls $4

Turn: ($110.55, 7 players)

River: ($110.55, 7 players)

Final Pot: $100.35
SB shows:
BB shows:
UTG shows:
UTG+1 shows:
MP1 shows:
MP2 shows:
Hero shows:

UTG+1 wins $107.55 ( won +$73.35 )
SB lost -$6.75
BB lost -$24.00
UTG lost -$10.00
MP1 lost -$16.70
MP2 lost -$6.00
MP3 lost -$0.75
Hero lost -$12.15

wow martin... lol .... why half stacking 25nl?

Originally Posted by givememyleg

wow martin... lol .... why half stacking 25nl?

i just wanted to give it a try to see what it was like.

Originally Posted by martindcx1e

Originally Posted by Jack Sawyer

Before bluffing, you have to analyze first if the pot is worth bluffing at.

While the spot is great to bluff, the pot is small enough that villain can give up without too much of a fight.


The key is in building a big pot first, then bluff the villain out. You need reads to know what ranges villain can lay down to what flops + turns (and rivers)

you never bluff small pots? there's quite a lot of money to be made from picking up many small pots.

it's a lot easier to successfully bluff in smaller pots -- weak and medium strength players (including me) will usually fold to a reraise or 3bet with a medium strength hand -- the board can be dry, and people fear 2p or a set. it's the big pots that are much harder to bluff, so you need to time it right usually with a scare. You can take a lot of these pots without much risk, while the bigger pots need more precision and the margin for error is smaller.

I have not done a lot of poker lately, which is why I haven't updated in a while

I'll be looking to get back on track shortly, and I'll post a massive updateadoodles

Originally Posted by mixchange

Originally Posted by martindcx1e

Originally Posted by Jack Sawyer

Before bluffing, you have to analyze first if the pot is worth bluffing at.

While the spot is great to bluff, the pot is small enough that villain can give up without too much of a fight.


The key is in building a big pot first, then bluff the villain out. You need reads to know what ranges villain can lay down to what flops + turns (and rivers)

you never bluff small pots? there's quite a lot of money to be made from picking up many small pots.

it's a lot easier to successfully bluff in smaller pots -- weak and medium strength players (including me) will usually fold to a reraise or 3bet with a medium strength hand -- the board can be dry, and people fear 2p or a set. it's the big pots that are much harder to bluff, so you need to time it right usually with a scare. You can take a lot of these pots without much risk, while the bigger pots need more precision and the margin for error is smaller.

I still don't agree, but I don't have a good reason right now

Originally Posted by martindcx1e

Originally Posted by givememyleg

wow martin... lol .... why half stacking 25nl?

i just wanted to give it a try to see what it was like.

LOL, quite an action packed table

Originally Posted by Jack Sawyer

I still don't agree, but I don't have a good reason right now

haha well at least you are aware of that.

I took a brek from poker.
I had to, uhm, find myself. My confidence was shattered, I simply felt no hand would hold up, etc.

Been really brushing up on the mental aspects of the game, which include being able to withstand beat after beat, without turning into a conditioned gambler.

Been trying my hand at tourney's again, after a long time. The one 180 where I had such a massive chiplead going into 50 players left, my ISP decides to crap on me again (it somehow always craps on me on important situations, such as final table bubble), forcing me to sit out and still come in 12th place. That sucked, big time.



Big update coming soon

Originally Posted by Jack Sawyer

I took a brek from poker.
I had to, uhm, find myself. My confidence was shattered, I simply felt no hand would hold up, etc.

Been really brushing up on the mental aspects of the game, which include being able to withstand beat after beat, without turning into a conditioned gambler.

Been trying my hand at tourney's again, after a long time. The one 180 where I had such a massive chiplead going into 50 players left, my ISP decides to crap on me again (it somehow always craps on me on important situations, such as final table bubble), forcing me to sit out and still come in 12th place. That sucked, big time.



Big update coming soon

i'm right there with ya pal. i'm taking a break and i'm gonna be playing mtt's for a while but really casually like maybe 2 a week or something for now since they can take so much freaking time. gl man. i hope you take one down soon.

yeah, sanity. I had my first shot at 50nl, lost $100, then had a bad run at 25nl, losing another$150. Shook me up a little, my poker career had been smooth up until then. So my Fulltilt time has been rollercoaster to date. $600 in and now at $560.... a little rakeback to come I guess, but weird headspace. Only two hands I really hate my play from that pile though, and now it's grind on up again.

Good luck y'all
Peace out.

Bad news. Or slightly unfortunate.


I'm going through some very heavy shit in RL right now (and have been going on since early November (aha, so THAT's why you didn't post in your thread in a while Jack), and I've had to put poker down for the moment (and withdraw, like, 95% of my roll ).

This marks the 3rd time straight that I went to $1500+ that I had to withdraw it all, or most of it, for RL matters. I truly hate my government, I hate bureaucracy, I hate all of it, and I also hate the fact that I couldn't find online poker a little earlier, like in '05.

I feel like Sisyphus.


I don't have an ETA on when I'll be back fulltime.



But, like Schwarzenegger said, "I'll be back"
I may be down, but never out.




What does this mean? OPS officially on hold for now. Sorry guys.

Much love, Jack. Hope everything is ok in real life and am looking forward to you crushing soon again! Take care

Sorry to hear about your troubles man. Hope you can start playing again soon. Take care man.

good luck getting shit sorted dude. And when you do, it's all on! purple rake for all

Tnx guys

Hope all goes well and you get back to it soon...you were doing so good.
Anyway, i enjoyed the read.

Best of luck to you...

Originally Posted by wesrman

Hope all goes well and you get back to it soon...you were doing so good.
Anyway, i enjoyed the read.

Best of luck to you...

Tnx for taking the time to read it through.

I have been going through quite a few rough patches, which actually got me into gambling in the first place because of my foresightedness . This "river of shit" just got magnified towards the end of 2007, so while most people were enjoying Christmas I can't say I was.

Services will be resumed shortly. I am undecided as to continue chronicling here or on the FTR Blogs, or on my own webbie. I'll post some sort of formal update soon.

This one was called "Jack's Road to Poker Maturity". I can say, however, for all intents and purposes, that that destination was reached well within the alotted time frame.


Jack will be back shortly... with a vengeance

we miss ya, Jack. Thanks for all the advice man and hope you are doing well again. Good luck and hope to see you back here for good.