Back home

Back from a week at Indy and I am beat.

Last weekend was all I could have hoped for. I could fill pages upon pages about all of the good times I had, but it's late, so I'll sum it up this way.

I have 18 new good friends.

As for the poker, well, I did all I could do in both tourneys. That place is so weak. I'm sure if I lived in Indy, I could make a good second income off of those people....so weak/passive.

I made a solid run in the Saturday night freezeout with no real cards to speak of. Got down to the final 12 until my QQ ran into AA. Oh well.

The conference in Indy was OK. Nice hotel and good food, but after the weekend, I was ready to get home.

Overall, I've been on a little slider the last couple of weeks. Seems to have been bitten by the 3-5 outer bug. I can think of 4 different instances in the last week where I've had top 2 only to have somebody river a bigger two and cost me a chunk/all of my stack.

Since my peak in early June, I'm down about 20% of my roll. Not heart stopping, but a little frustrating. I can't put my finger on it, but I think I've got some leaks. The suckouts aren't helping either.

I'm kind of at a point where I'd like to start playing tourneys again, but the time requirements are different and income is much more sporadic. At the same time, I recognize that tourneys are where the big BR boosts are and I'm actually a decent tourney player. SnG's are also starting to look good again.

On a personal note, there was one really good thing to come out of the conference. It seems that the job that I've been trying to get is looking a lot more possible now. The guy who wants me is really working his end and has found a way to guarantee I make the final list. If that's the case, I may be working somewhere else in 3-4 months and have some better career prospects. It's not that I don't like my current job (my boss drives me nuts sometimes), but I'm too young to have no upward mobility.

We shall see....on both fronts.

I be excited

Tomorrow is the big +1 gathering at goldi's (Troy) and I am pumped. As of right now, the count looks to be north of 20.

It's really wild to see how a little cookout has turned into the biggest +1 gathering yet. 3 1/2 days of poker, golf, beer, food, and what should be a great time.

There's only one problem.

I haven't been in much of a poker mood the last couple of days.

I played about a 1/2 hour today, had a solid sit down, but just couldn't stay focused. I sat down at 3 different tables tonight and got up before I saw a card because I couldn't make myself wznt to play.

I'm sure I'll come around tomorrow. I'm not real good at staying away from poker for any long stretch.

Woo hoo.....Indy here I come!!!!!!

Fucking Stars is wearing me out

Jesus H Christ this place wears me out.

I knuckled down and just sat through 200 hands of hell.

For 93 hands, I never had anything remotely close to playable....in any position. I started looking for the Default Hand button, because I swear it was stuck on 3 9 offsuit.

Then, at around hand 125, I get AA in UTG+1 and make it 2.00 ($50NL), two callers....which is shocking in its own right because I have a VP$IP of about 1. Anyway, flop is 8 10 J rainbow. I'm not real wild about the coordinated board and bet out $6, MP calls. Turn is a rag and I bet out $10 more, MP raises to $20 and I think long and hard before mucking....he shows 88. This is the 4th AA I've had cracked in 5 days and I'm really getting tired of it.

I kept my cool and actually managed a small profit, but it is such a damn grind. I don't know WTF is up, but Stars doesn't seem to like me right now.

The fun run continues

Not a whole lot to say, broke even, but worked hard to do it.

2 tabled some $50 NL at Full Tilt. Got stacked early in my 3rd AA vs KK in 4 days (I've lost all three). However, I got lucky once and ground out a break even session. My rakeback cleared today, so I ended up $20.

Of course, I blew $20 at Stars when I busted out pretty quick in a 180 SnG and dropped about $10 at $50 NL. I've been ugly card dead over there and you can't get anybody off a hand (I spent about a full buy-in learning that). In fact, my Stars situation is kind of ugly, I'm down to about $160 over there after starting with about $300. Going to drop to $25 NL and hope I can start some sort of comeback. The Stars money is simply bonus from my UB cashout and I've been a little loose with it. Going to try and harden up a bit and see what I can do. Games are almost a carbon copy of Party, so I've just got to adjust and play better.

Sometimes I have to sit back an laugh at myself, though. I'm whining a bitching about the huge hits I've taken over the last week and I've still got just about 2X what I had at the beginning of April.

If I would just calm down and realize if I doubled my roll every 3 months, I'd be in pretty good shape in a year.

Problem is, I know how to play, but I just have to continue to experiment.

I'll grow up eventually.

I guess I've been due for a kick in the balls

What a shitty day.

Bad tables. Bad beats. Dropped about 15% of roll today and other than one iffy play, there was really no way around it.

I've had AA 3 times and won the blinds each time.

I am also tired of flopping underfulls and having them counterfieted.

Fuck. It's been a while since I've really been shit on. Well, I've been reminded and I don't like it.]

Two hands pretty much illustrate my day.

Hand 1:

9 10 of hearts on the button. One limper to me and I raise it to $4. BB calls, everybody else folds.

Flop 7h 8h 4s

BB bets $3, I call

Turn is a Kd

BB bet $5, I put him all in for another $30, he calls

He show A 8 off and I don't catch the 1/2 of the deck I need.

Hand 2 (my favorite)

I limp from MP with 66, there are 3 other callers.

Flop is 9 6 9

I check, CO bets out the pot, I call

Turn is a 7

I bet out $4 hoping to pull a raise, I get it as CO raise, I put him all in and get a call

Turn is another 9 and his nines ful of sevens beat my nines full of sixes.

Underfulls have cost me so much money. It makes me sick.


So, I've dropped about $200 today and I'm not liking cash games much right now. The big +1 weekend is coming up.....I hope my attitude about poker improves. It is pretty shitty right now.

Bye UB, it was nice knowing you.

I played a lot of poker yesterday. Well, a lot for me. I think somewhere in the range of 9 hours.

The result. I broke even. Now that's a productive day.

In fact, the most significgant thing I did poker-wise yesterday had nothing to do with cards. I have finally abandoned UB. It's not that big of a deal other than UB is what got me started and where I learned what little I know. However, it is still a rock garden and there is so much more money to be made at the other sites, I felt it was time. My boy hellory hooked me up with a trade and I know have enough to start over at Stars.

I did get a chance to play in a couple of 180 man SnGs. Man, are those things soft. Played in two yesterday and did pretty well in both. I didn't cash, but went deep enough to realize that I can see those becoming a part of my regular play.

Stars looks to be THE tourney site, so I'm glad I got something over there.

Now, if I could just get my tourney game in the right direction. Lots of bad timing lately, but I think I'm on the right path.

Solid night, but why am I annoyed?

I got in from Dallas at around 6.

First thing was first. My new hard drive came in for my PC, so I immediately got it up and running and started moving files. I've been fighting hard drive space for a while, so the extra 300 GB is niiiice.

Had dinner and the wife looked like she was done for the night, so I hit the old PC for some poker fun.

Had a good early session 2 tabling one $50NL and one $100NL table. Muddled through on the bigger table, but I stacked a guy in a set vs. set hand. Won back all that I lost a couple of nights ago.

It was nearing midnight and I decided I was willing to stay up late and play the $10 MTT at UB. Had a great start when I doubled up with KK vs QQ. I pretty much just hung in there until the first break. Early afterwards with blinds at 50/100, I run into one of the more interesting hands I've had in a while.

I'm on the button with T2400 and have 88. There are 2 limpers to me and I make it 400 to go. MP2 is the only caller.

Flop Q J 9 all spades. MP2 checks, I jam representing a weaker flush, call with QJ (I like the play, bad timing)

but wait

Turn A

River 10

So, I gutshot the straight and I've got T5000 and looking good at this point in the tourney.

Well, so I thought.

I go absolutely card dead for about 3 orbits. I took a shot with mid-pair and lost about 800, but entered the 75/150 level with around 4000. On top of that, 3 of the top 5 chip leaders are all at my table....and willing to gamble.

3rd hand in, I get AK off on the button. Chip leader min-raises from MP, now he had been doing this a lot with mid-pairs and had won two races when people jammed and he called. There is a caller and I decide it's time to nut up and jam with T4100. Of course, the big stack calls and shows....88. Wow. I wish I had that kind of confidence with races.

Well, to make a long story short, I lost the race and busted out. I really liked the way I played and was miffed that I couldn't go deeper. All you can do is make the right plays and go on. I'll live.

I was a little tilty though and decided to play some $100NL....which is funny because after the tourney I only had like $175. That's some quality BR managment. I made about $20 after an hour and called it a night.

I'm kind of ticked at Full Tilt because they're taking their sweet time processing my withdrawal. I'm going to move a little over to Stars and give it a shot. Actually, I'm considering moving my UB money over there....but God knows how long it will take UB to pay me. :D

Funny thing

I have absolutely zero desire to play poker tonight, so I'm not going to.

Weird.

I think this is a good sign, though.

On the other hand, this will probably be only the 10th day or so out of the last year I haven't played some.

I'm going to watch stupid shit a youtube.

Later

Deep in the heart of Texas

I'm in Dallas this week for some training. Whoopie.

Actually, I've been here since Sunday. Been a decent trip so far. Class is so so. We really haven't covered anything that I can use just yet. I think tomottow will be the most helpful. If not, I've been out of the office for a week, anyway, that's always good.

My best friend from high school lives down here, so I've got a chance to hang with him some. I also got a chance to meet up with one of the guys from +1, squirrel (David). We got a chance to drink some good beer and talk it up a bit. So far, I've met two P1MP and both have been cool guys.

Believe it or not, I have actually played some poker while I've been down here......what a shock. The bad thing is that it's been agonizingly frustrating. Ever since my big win last week, I've done a fine job of spinning my wheels. At this writing, I'm down about a buy-in, so nothing major...and most of that loss is related to my bad run in tourneys.

Speaking of which.....

The only thing more annoying is my MTT/SnG play. I don't know what the deal is, but I can't do anything this week. Bad calls, suckouts, no cards, bubbles.....ugh.

I feel like I've got a good tourney approach these days and I am able to adjust to my tables. This week it seems like every table I sit down at is super aggressive and I can't look at some cheaper flops like I like to. On top of that, I can't seem to pick up any chips and I feel like every time I'm going into the 4th/5th level hanging on....hoping to double up. MTT's are all about chip accumulation and you need to at least hang with the crowd and I haven't been able to do that.

On the bright side, I'm not losing my ass like I have previously when I started getting some BR growth going. My personal favorite is when I was up close to $1K and decided to play some 3/6 LHE. Flush vs. flush and 2 different cracked AA later and I had donked off around $300. I panicked and IMMEDIATELY pulled $400 off for fear I would lose it all (I was REAL broke back then.).

I've got a couple of more days down here and it's back to the homestead. Next week is the big P1MP weekend up in Indy and I can't wait. Poker, golf, beer, and hanging out with 20 of the best people I've never met.

FUCK YEAH

Ignore that bitchy post.

I knew I was playing well and used reverse psychology on 'em, I moved up.

2 tabled some $100 NL and an hour later I'm up TWO full buy-ins. I have crossed the magic $1K barrier.

I am happy.

Funny thing about today. I haven't had quads in over 6 months. Had them twice today and got paid off on one of them.

I feel much better than I did 4 hours ago.

Nite nite.

Fuck me.

I don't think there is any worse of a feeling that playing damn solid poker and still coming out a loser.

Fuck.

I just put in a damn solid session and I feel like I just got slapped around with a wet towel. 3 hours of grinding through and nada. Had this one fucker who just had my number, I will pay him back.

Never got any opportunities to push draws or trap. Had KK busted twice. Just real fucking aggravating night.

Sometimes I wonder why I do this shit.

Well, I know why, because I'm starting to know what I'm doing and I'm pretty sure I can be successful at it....but I'll be damned if nights like tonight just don't frustrate the hell out of you.

I lost about a buyin, but it could have been a lot worse....a lot worse.

A pretty OK night

I started out by playing the 7PM $10 MTT at Full Tilt. I generally have no problem accumulating chips and getting into the second hour pretty easy, but just haven't really broken through yet.

Pretty frustrating early. 2 of the guys to my right were extra aggressive, so there were very few cheap flops. I had a couple of hands I would have liked to called with, but the price was usually too high. Early in level 3, I picked up QQ in the BB, raised, got two callers. Rag flop. I jammed and was up to around T2250. Which I stayed at. Forever. I played really solid. Laid down 77 in EP and 10 10 (in a bet/raise situation). I really worked on building a rock image and waited for an opportunity to make a move.

With blinds at 30/60, I had 9d 10d in the SB. UTG+1 (no real read) makes a standard raise, MP2 calls (loose), and I call. Flop is 4 9 Q rainbow. I check with the intention of making a move based on their play. Raiser bets out 1/2 the pot, MP2 calls, and I jam. UTG+1 calls with AA.

Great. I make one move in a hour and a half and run into a monster. Thanks. I was crippled after that and gone within an orbit. I still like the play and if I don't run into a huge overpair, I think I pull that pot down which would have had me well over average.

I took a little break and played some $100NL for a bit. I realize my BR really doesn't support it, but dammit, that game is so beatable, I have to take a shot now and then. Glad I did tonight.

4th hand I'm in MP with AJ off. I raise it to $3 and get 3 callers. Flop is JJ4 with two of a suit. I bet out $5, CO calls, and SB calls. Turn is a 10. I don't want to keep 3 in to the end, so I bet out $30, CO calls....which has me worried. Could he have J 10? Nah.

River is a 4 filling me up and I move in. CO calls. for like $30 of it. CO has.......10 2.

Wow. I lose about $30 back on a badly played hand, but still come out nice. I took a little break and came back to play come $50NL at FT. I also fired up a $50NL table at UB....not smart with just $120 on there, but I figure "what the heck".

I grind around and manage to win about 1/2 a stack on each table. Between the two sites, I'm nearing $1K. A goal I've been shooting for a while. I think if I can put together a solid weekend, I might just get there.

There might be something to this solid poker stuff.

We shall see.

Roller coaster

I hadn't officially mentioned it, but I've been playing around with different styles for the last couple of months. Well, I learned some things and thought it was time to sit down and put some stuff into practice.

Also, I remembered I had $20 or so left over at UB a couple of days ago and started playing around with that. Won a 30 seat SnG and instantly tripled my UB roll. Woohoo.

All that being said, I figured I'd multitable some ring and SnG action. I love UBs SnG format, so I played another 30 man there and played some $100 NL at Full Tilt.

My first cash session was rough. I had a pretty tough table and had some TAG guys on both sides of me. Zero cheap flops and lots of PF raising. I stayed too long bled off about 1/2 a buy-in before I realized it was time to go. I did some set mining a couple of hands and made some plays, but nothing materialized. I played pretty well, but had a tough table and didn't get in the right situation. Sucks, but that's the way things shake out.

The SnG was another matter. Had a huge rush early and doubled up the in the 15 minutes. Then sat for what seemed like forever. I took a hit when I was in the BB with Ad10d. Semi-tight guy in the SB raises and I put him all in (he only had 900), he calls with 8 8.

After that little fiasco, I just hung around. It was kind of funny because I was at the bottom of the list forever. My M was stupid low, so I had to jam early and often to stay alive. Which is exactly what I did. I made the final table in 9th place with about T2000, leader had over T10000.

I got a mini-rush and doubled up in the first 5 hands . My big break was about 15 hands in with 7 left. I had QQ in MP and was still in 6th. I jam, and get TWO callers. The ladies hold up for a change and all of the sudden, I'm just behind the leader AND take a guy out. I had been jamming so much, I wasn't surprised when I got action with the QQ. Once I finally had some chips, I started barraging the table with bets. Got heads up and it lasted for 2 full levels......but, in the end, I pull out my 2nd straight 30 man SnG. Cool. I'm even for the night.

I ate some dinner and wanted another crack at the cash games, it was later, so I thought there might be a few more donks out. Not so. I hop on 2 $50NL tables at FT and they wear me out early. It's either a situation where I'm constantly running into big hands, these guys are reading my mind, or I'm seeing stupid flops. Next thing I know, I'm down a full buy-in and I'm pissed. I know I'm playing well, but just keep getting in funky situations.

Then I have one hand that turns it around.

I get Ah Kd in MP2. I've got guys on either side of me that are pretty hard to read and seem to be solid TAG. Anyway, one limp to me and I make it $2.50, guy to my left bumps it to $4.50. Now, this guy had been on me all night and I'm starting to sense he's making a play. Plus, I'm not just pitching AK, so I call to see the flop.

2 3 10 with 2 diamonds. (Did I mention that every single time I have AK/AQ rags hit the board?) Screw it. I fire out $10 (2 overs and backdoor flush, good continuation bet time), CO calls. Now, I'll be honest, I HATE a call here. More than likely, he's got a big pair and the only thing that would help would be a really good turn....

which I get....

Jd

So, I've got 2 overs, 2nd nut flush draw, AND a gutshot....not to mention the fact that I can represent a flush. Which I do. I move in for another $35. CO locks up. I know he doesn't like the board and he folds. I don't show, but tell the guy I had QQ.

After that, I just continued to play solid and left the session even. However, really felt good about how I played, just didn't get the right opportunities. Someday it will sink in that even your best poker isn't always good enough.....but isn't that why we love it?

So, I lose about $50, win it back at another site, and break even. An interesting day, if not profitable.

Gee, that was fun

OK, I took a hit yesterday, but I felt pretty good, so I hit the $100 NL tables again.

Early session, I got up about 1/3 of a buy-in when I caught a short stack with JJ vs A 10. Well, I stayed patient and got 8d 9d in the CO with a min-raise (looser player) and a call in front.

Flop goes J 7 9 (one diamond), EP bets out, I call. My thinking is that so long as no big cards hit, I'm going to push hard on the turn representing a big hand and should have sufficient outs should he call. Turn is a 3, EP bets out 2/3 the pot I come over top, practically putting him all in, he moves in, and I call for like $8 more. I had him on a weakish J (he had Q J), Q hits the river and I go from $30 winner to being stuck for $20. I like the play and he admitted it was a "tilty" call. I had a ridiculous amount of outs and almost took it down right there.

Later, I still felt pretty good and hopped on another $100 NL table. I actually got a little froggy and fired up a second one soon after. This turned out to be an adventure in futility. I never got involved in any kind of meaningful pot and in the two situations where you expect to get paid off.....I didn't. Played for a little over an hour, made $5 and cleared another $20 in bonus.

So, after all of the fireworks and getting stacked yesterday, I'm just about where I was a week and a half ago.

I still feel like I can bust these $100 NL tables, but just in a lull right now.

Blah.

Hey, look what I found

I remember when I started this thing, but can't remember why I stopped updating it.

Oh, wait a minute, I remember....I'm lazy and had nothing to say.

I'd like to say that I've had some crazy revelation, but no, I'm just putting some new stuff in here that really won't add anything to the world.

I have made one revelation....regardless of whether I think I'm getting any better or not, all I'm doing is playing break even poker lately.

I started with $500 at Full Tilt at the first of April. I've cleared $180 in bonus and $20 from rakeback....I now have $718 in my account. Whoopdefriggin' doo.

I had a pretty wild 24 hours. I stacked a guy early at $50 NL with QQ vs. 55 (ha!). and temporarily got the account over $800. I promptly got my own ass stacked when my flush ran into a bigger flush.

Probably the biggest concern for me lately is my dry run in tourneys. I'll admit that I've been focusing on ring games for the better part of the year, but I still try and play at least 2-3 tourneys a week (I should play more, but I find it hard to commit 2-3 hours at a time). Anyway, it seems like lately I never have that early opportunity to pick up some chips. I've either got a wildly aggro guy to my left or it gets raised and I can't get a cheap flop. If I do make a play, I get called. I know it's cyclical, but I'm still frustrated.

I fly out to Dallas next week for some screw off time....er, training, and I'm going to make it a point to play nothing but MTTs next week. I really like the 7PM $10 at FT and feel it is beatable....I just need to take some shots.

I guess the thing that is still chewing at me is that I feel like I've been stuck at the same point for 3-4 months now. The basics are down and I do have some moves, but I have been blesed with the gift of horrible timing. I don't get myself stacked like I used to, but I still make plays at pots and seem to bleed stacks that way. Also, I've been dabbling at $50 and $100 NL as the play really isn't any better, I just can't hit that nice hot run to boost the BR. I've managed to maintain, though, so I can continue to hang there for a while.

Speaking of which, it really amazes me how the play at the lower levels never seems to improve as you move up. I really thought I would see some better play as I've moved up. Nope. There are times I think the play gets worse.

As far as this weekend goes, well, for all of its ups and downs, I ended up -$20. It feels like more since I was up about $80, but its all relative. Several of my +1 bretheren drop my BR in a hand, so its not that much in the scheme of things. At the same time, I've nutured this little wad of cash for the past 10 months and its really all I have to commit to poker, so I do take care of it.

The big +1 weekend is coming up soon and I'm really looking forward to it. I haven't had a "Donnie" trip in about 2 years and I'm due. 72 hours of golf, food, poker, and beer. Good times.

For now, I guess I'll just continue to work on clearing the bonus and wait for things to swing my way.