December 27, 2006

I have been steadily getting my bankroll back after a big night of losses before i went home at christmas. This game can be so infuriating when you are constantly trying to build...at some point it will feel good to have a certain bankroll and maybe skim every month...that would be ideal. but, until i get to that point, I will be obsessing over every loss.

I had a few unlucky situations tonight...I never sucked out and lost quite a few coin flips. i had a nasty one...i had QQ on bubble and was up against a pusher that just had me covered. I called, but the BB called too and he had us both covered. He turns over KQ and hits a river king. so, i ended up taking 4th...totally screwed! I didnt even spend enough time to think about it...i moved on to the next sng...i am even for the night...so gonna relax for a bit and maybe log some more sngs.

started a set...got to the bubble on each, bubbled on first 2 getting very unlucky....itm in the other 2...playing great! Just took one down...heads up in another...about even chip stacks. would be huge to take it down! my 88 lost to J9...so my final set was solid...getting too late to fire up any more...lets see where i stand. I won about $80...those bubbles sure did hurt. i am playing very patiently and laying down a lot of hands...

I am laying down big hands preflop into crazy aggression. I am not going to the coin flip early...I have laid down 10 10, 9 9, AQs, and various other smallish pocket pairs.

I am soo confident that I c ould add 2 more tables with very little drop off. I only think that i would struggle if i started to bubble in all 6 of them...which would be an awesome problem to have. still grinding away towards my new monitor...about halfway there.

Now that I am not messing around with less than 4 tables...I find that I can log a very high number of sngs...I cannot imagine 8-tabling...averaging 10-12 turbos an hour. I know some people 16-table...but i need to bask in the glory of 8-tabling and thinking about the numbers that landmark means. I cant wait until I move up levels and 8-table...baby, the cash will be coming!!

December 24, 2006

Played a little most of the nights when i have been at home. Done pretty well and my game is heating up right now. I have cashed in the last 4 sngs, going 1, 1, 3, 2. I am just over double my initial stack in the FT $35k Guaranteed. I am starting to concentrate a little more on my game...I hope I can use this focus to take my game to the next level again...I feel like I am going to be able to replicate what i did before...and that was build a very nice bankroll that i will no longer need to pull from...so i am very excited at the thought, but being realistic - I dont think I had the focus to pull it off. This break has been so good for me...i totally understand why people say you need a break or the value in taking one...

Anyway, i am doing well early in the tourney, updates to follow.

First break, I have 3210 in chips - just below the average of 3470. 584 of 1341 still remain...pays the top 216.

I needed to get some cards and I waited too long to be able to open it up a bit...so i ended up in a pretty good hand, but i did lose it. I had A8o in the bb and had one limper. 8 hi flop, we both checked, another undercard, I bet he calls, another undercard and i push, he calls with pocket 8s. Ugly one...i was obviously hoping he was holding a strong ace...
Now i realize why that was such a bad assumption. I should have known he wouldnt have played an AQ or AK like that preflop. that left overpairs, which he would also have bet preflop, so most likely middle pairs. I should have realized that most underpairs would have caught their sets or made a straight, so i should have either moved on the flop, which was fatal, or just fold to aggression...which i probably should have...which means i should have checked my hand and folded if he raised...which was originally the plan, until he checked...which i should have just checked it down...folding to any bet.

2006 Goal Revisited

As we close out 2005, my head is spinning how fast this year has gone by. All in all, it has been a good year. But, looking forward to 2006, I am so excited. I have a new job, set a lot of goals for myself, and a better attitude and perspective on things. So, as we start 2006, I wanted to list my goals and wish my friends a happy new year. My 2006 goals are as follows:

1. DISCIPLINE!!!!
2. Stay employed at my current job. I am starting a new job and would like to have some stability. As long as I am not going to be a full time poker pro, I might as well keep a decent day job.
3. Win at least $25,000 playing poker (not including rakeback!)
4. Enter at least 1 WSOP event
5. Move up to playing $109 sngs
6. Hit my goals of playing 250 sngs a month. Moving up to 400 sngs a month as my game progresses.
7. Enjoy my life more
8. Appreciate my friends and family more
9. Work out!!! Getting too fat!!
10. Get the software program I have been brainstorming moving along.
11. DISCIPLINE!!!!

Good luck to all those setting goals. I hope we all achieve everything we set our minds to.

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I remember making this post. Ah, how I was into the game and had so much enthusiasm. It has faded a bit as the highs and lows have taken their toll on me. I know i havent logged as many sngs this entire year as some have in a month or two. thats part of my problem, the volume of play just isnt there yet, which is dedication, which is Discipline. so the real question is do i want it??

That is a great question. I cant even begin to answer that. i think the structure that a day job brings me is important, but I see other ways that i can obtain structure in my life...this year i am going to find out how deep my dedication and desire for poker is. right now, i have to say i have a 50/50 chance of making this post again next year. it isnt that i cant play or that i will crap out. i honestly believe that i can play this game profitably. the only question is can i log enough sngs to make it worthwhile, and in doing so, will it require more time than i am willing to give...those questions will indeed be answered later this year!

December 15, 2006

Tonight, I plan on logging some tables. I have been slacking this week. I guess I have been preoccupied thinking about going home and connecting with some friends I havent seen in a while...Plus, work has been pretty heavy.

However, that is no excuse. This weekend I plan on logging a bunch of sngs and hope to make back everything I lost last weekend during my terrible saturday night/sunday morning. I made back a little, but lets see if i can continue to get some luck and keep my play solid. I am just nervous until I can get my account up over the $1k mark because at that point I will finally feel confident that I will not crap out...until then, i feel like I am gambling and I dont like to gamble when poker is concerned...blackjack is one thing, but poker is not meant to be gambling.

December 14, 2006

there is a little party at work, but it doesnt start until 7 or 7:30...not sure if i want to stick around or not. I am past the phase where I feel like i am missing out...ive been to soo many parties and get bored pretty easily at them. I have hung out with hot drunk girls and stupid drunk guys before and the novelty has worn off...plus, I really dont want to be driving home wasted. Plus, its work-related. sure, i work in the corporate office, so none of the people I actually work with will be there, but word travels fast...and doing stupid things here is actually more like a badge of honor than something to hang your head in shame over...still on the fence.

As for poker, I need to get my tables in. I really wanted to qualify for one of the iron man challenge freerolls on full tilt...i made great progress, but the last few days off have pissed it away. I am still on target, but with the holidays coming up, who knows if i will be able to finish the month off strong. I am kinda looking forward to playing on stars too, so i need to clear the FT bonus because it is an amazing rakeback deal...and stars has no rakeback, so it would be silly not to clear the bonus before bailing...lets see what happens tonight.

December 10, 2006

Horrible luck is holding off until after teh bubble tonight. i have taken two nasty ones when we get into the money...lost A10s to A5o and JJ to A10s.

I figured I am going to continue to log a decent number of sngs every night until I either crap out or make a good run. Obviously, i hope not to crap out, but then again, unless i dont start to make some progress i might be better off doing something else with my very limited free time.

I need to keep things in perspective. I have never been able to log as many sngs as many of the 2+2 posters. they show their monthly stats and their downswings can often number more sngs that i log in a month...however they have huge upswings as well. I just need to hang in there and go with the flow of the game. I feel underbankrolled...so i am gonna stick with the $24s until I hit $1200, then i will start splitting up my tables...half 24s and half 36s. I am happy with the number of sngs I have logged so far...i would say close to 100. i am trying so hard to get my rakeback up to $300...right now it stands about $100, but if i can clear that full tilt bonus soon, i will continue to play there until i get $300 and then move to Poker Stars.

December 9, 2006

Not a great start...still at it. Going through card dead stretches. Tonight, i have been staying out of the way because I am not getting a lot of quality starting hands. The action is fast and furious, making me even less likely to open or enter a pot. but, even when you are a spectator you experience variance. lots of double ups for the small stack. Again, i am continually amazing with the level of play. people calling pushes on the bubble with Jack high. I took 3rd when my K7 was called preflop by J10. I hit my king, but he hit runner runner flush.

not sure if I am going to continue playing tonight...thinking about it. I think i am gonna take a break and fire some up later.

I just cant believe this shit...i raise with AQ and get called. I flop an ace...on the turn i get him all in and he shows QQ...I hav eAQ, and he hits the 1 outter!

Up and down...getting in good, so cant be upset with my play. just lost my JJ to AQ...i wish they could just flop the Ace...actually I had a flush draw on the turn...and the queen hits on the river. gotta stay focused and keep grinding...volume is the key, so variance is a part of the game...this is a heavy dose...so i just gotta get used to it. you know, i am realizing that playing is learning to deal with it every day, not just every so often...when you play 20-30+ sngs a day...you run into it more often than you can avoid it!

The queen on the river has FUCKED me so many times tonight. I was on the bubble, 2nd stacked and the big stack min raised...i called. flop is all blanks and i hit my 9 on the turn to give me a set...i push, he calls with QQ. FUCKING QUEEN ON THE RIVER AND I BUST! i just dont understand how this can keep fucking happening. I better go on one hell of a winning streak to make up for this bullshit!

Truly unreal tonight...i bubble every time as the shorty keeps sucking out on the bubble and i get fucked! full tilt is fucked!

I dont know if i can play poker...i just dont know. i can play the tables, i can get in ahead, i can log a shit load of time and get my volume up, but these nights where idiots make plays and get paid all night long are just insane. I know it isnt the site...i mean, come on, but it just doesnt seem right. i can believe how bad these players are. i should be dominating them and i just dont know what to do anymore. i will play a shit load tomorrow and either crap out or make some back.

December 7, 2006

horrible run so far tonight...every donk is hitting their hands. called with 76 on bubble and i hit my pair only to get sucked out on...just terrible. trying to stick with it, but i think im down at least 10 buy ins already.

rough night...i keeplosing the important hands...on the bubble or near it when i get in good and my hands dont hold up...sticking with it...still playing well. i was playing poorly early, but i adjusted and now am getting deep in most sngs...trying to dig outta the hole.

Took one down...so cashed in a couple tonight...gonna fire up a few more.

wow, I quite possibly had the best finish to a night. I fired up 4 sngs to try to dig out of the hole...# $22s and a $36. I took 2nd in the $36, 2 firsts and a third i believe to finish the night up. I wsa down a lot...i would say over 250, not quite sure, but i won like 4 bucks, and released a $20 bonus, so ended up over 24 bucks...not a lot, but considering the start, pretty amazing...plus rakeback baby!

December 2, 2006

I am not happy with this sng software I bought. It doesnt pick up all the sngs that I play. I paid $40 bucks for it. Not that it is a lot of money, but i should have known better. I should have went with a more polished product, but i was trying to support the community. i didnt realize, or take time to think, about how tough it is to create and maintain a poker product that imports hand histories. The sites are continually making changes to their format, so keeping up with it is pretty difficult.

I think I also need to buy that software program that tells you which hands to push against an estimated range. I know I play too tight...way too tight. It is solid for me in sngs though. I realize that if I get all in as a 60:40 favorite that I will win more often than I lose. but, that edge is so marginal on any one hand. Against these donks playing the $24s and $36s on Full Tilt, I would like a bigger edge because I can afford to be patient. Thing is, I am continually AMAZED at the range in which I am being called. If I push on the button, against a shorty or even someone with a similar sized stack, i am getting called with hands like J8o. I would never put that in a calling range, but I guess I would have to. Thats just amazing to me that someone will call off all their stack with J8o. I mean, you got this far, just pick a better spot.

So, tonight I logged 13 sngs. 4 tabling, thats about 2 hours works. I cant wait until I get my rakeback up to $300 so I can buy myself a new monitor. then, the next $300 will be for another. Then I should have a killer set up to really test myself. Outside of playing a +EV game, volume of play is the most important stat to monitor. the more tables I can log in an hour, the more my $$/Hr will go up and the more money I will make.

I have been reading that many players experience the same problem as me...only able to log 150-200 sngs a month. We are the guys with full time jobs or other commitments. The young college kids can devote 5-6 hours a day while 8-tabling and log mass quantities of sngs - making tons of money. I would really need to have a full year of $10k plus months before I would consider quitting my job. I could make that amount without the stress of having to win it. I admit that my job keeps me disciplined and I believe if I was a pro poker player, I would follow in the steps of Stu Unger, but just not nearly as good.

Winning night to start off my December...Let's continue to build on it!

December 1, 2006

I keep trying to play more poker, but outside interests and demands are not allowing me to have the time to do it. I want to push myself, but then realize I am not playing my best game. I am usually tired and not able to play as well as I would like. I did play about 150 sngs this month. I think I can hit 200 and as soon as I get about $300 in rakeback, I am going to cash it out and get a new monitor to start 6-tabling.

I am grinding away. I dont want to set goals right now because poker is not my first priority. My goal is to play as much as I can and play well. I need to work on playing more when I am playing well, but often times I am tired and just want to go to bed...feeling good after a winning session. I know that if I continued to play and started to lose my winnings, I would not be able to sleep. right now, I just do what works for me. I had a marginally profitable month. I won a few hundred and made a little in rakeback...nothing spectacular. I would like to build my roll and play the $33+3 exclusively before I move up. Once I am able to move up to the $33+3s and start to build my roll at that level, I will start to investigate playing on Poker Stars. they do not have nearly as many intermediate levels, they dont have $30-something sngs.

I am being more realistic about poker. I know it's just a hobby right now, but if I can slowly build my roll again and learn to tolerate high volume play, then maybe it could become something more.

November 26, 2006

tonight is the night i get sucked out on.. having a bad run...all the draws are coming in on me...still working on it though.

November 24, 2006

Doing ok, maybe down a buy in or two. Played a $36 tonight. I will fire one up when playing well. bubbled again for my 2nd str8 bubble in a $36. short stack doubled up once and then i took a stab and got caught...just unlucky. Still in 2 sngs...lets see how they finish up.

Just called a bubble push with A7s and dude pushed 24 into me and he caught runner runner straight...fuckin unreal! Last night my hands held up, tonight they dont even come close and the suck outs are in full effect...hoping i can ride it out...lets see what happens.

Well, I did some good things tonight and and some bad things...first lets talk about the good things. I played a pretty solid game tonight. A few beats put me on tilt, but i can feel it coming and i do my best to control it. I play by emotion, so when i feel in my gut to call or raise, I play by feel. However, since I can feel my frustration growing inside me, I know that I must switch gears and play by the book. So, I was able to keep myself in check, which kept the bleeding to a minimum. However, my frustration manifested itself in another way...I opened up 3 $36 sngs. I told myself I wasnt going to do that until I was properly bankrolled, but my performance in those has been excellent outside of bubbling the last few...my play had been good enough to money. so I figured lets give it a shot and see how it turns out. I won 2 of them and finished out of the money on the third, but still had a velry nice chip stack in the 3rd one...got it all in as a slight favorite nearing the bubble and got drawn out on...if that hand holds up, i believe I could have moneyed...playing good poker again!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Had a great Thanksgiving. Went to the Camelback Inn for brunch...what an amazing spread. Had lamb chops, filet mignon, amazing turkey, king crab claws, potatoes, prime rib, creme brule and fruit for dessert. Just awesome!

Came home and watched some poker on TV...got inspired and played. had a great night, took quite a few firsts for a change. I took down a bunch of sngs and played very well. My hands held up today...that was really encouraging and good for my confidence. Up 220 playing the 22+2...solid night.

November 21, 2006

Now that I am playing a little more and trying to keep a clear head, I realize just how often my dominating preflop hands, at least according to the books, actually get dominated. with regularity, my stronger aces get cracked pretty creatively... 4 card flushes, always 3 on the flop and one on the river...or runner runner straight. Didnt let it get to me...didnt even think about it - just fired up some more and plugged away. Played a 33 and was doing great until my AJs lost to A8o on the bubble when his gutshot, that he pushed with, came thru on the river. Sucks because that could have lead to a very nice profit for the night...I was up more than the buy in and could have built up a nice day...

I decided to join an $11 MTT for some fun...gonna relax and play and hope that i can play for an hour or two on my $11 bucks...would be great to get my money back...but of course I am looking to cash DEEP! Wish me luck.

Update on MTT:

Well, its been up and down. I had about 1150 chips and got AA in early position, bumped to 180, or 3xbb and got the button to call. i ended up doubling up through him and am sitting with 2540 with an average stack at the break of 3550. I need to catch a few hands, but havent had too much other than the monster. lets see how the second hour goes...there are only 471 out of the 1114 that started...pays top 180.

248 left 19 mins before break number 2. just got it all in with 10 10 when someone with about one third of my stack pushed, i pushed over the top and he had AJs...my 101 0 held up and i am sitting nicely. still need a big hand...got moved to the table with the two chip leaders...hope to double up one more time before break.

Holy shit, Just jumped into the top 60...will write it up in a sec.

Ok, just after my last post about busting that dude with 1010, i got A10s on the button, it was folded to me, i bumped to 3.5xbb and it was pushed over the top of me by the SB. I had to fold, but that was 25% of my chips. I then get a small pair in late position and I limp...dude pushes and i have to fold. i am down to like 2500 chips...i am SB, blinds are 150/300 at this point and the 3 big stacks on the table are all in before for for 900. I push for my final 2500, and all 3 call...FUCK! flop comes 9 high and one of them bets 5000 and the other two fold...he shows JJ...i caught an ace on the turn and quadrupled up! sitting over 10k right now, break in 4 mins...almost to the money...194 left!

Second Break:

Sitting nicely. have 8525, which is just about the average. I had to call a min raise when i was on the BB. Just too good of odds to fold with suited 64. 4 people to the money.

Took 124th...made like 4 bucks lol. was fun though. I realize that in my tourney game, i need to open it up a bit more. I guess I was pretty card dead too...but i still need to make some plays when the cards arent coming and make plays. if i lose and bust, it just wasnt meant to be. but my goal was just to cash. I played well and had some cheap fun...

November 20, 2006

Playing today...doing ok, but had a bad run of luck...was in twice ahead and had the better ace both times and the board hit a 5 card flush lol

still at it...i am getting screwed when i get itm...lost the two i just said, then lost JJ vs 22 and then lost KQ vs K5. unreal. I am playing well, just getting fucked as usual. I really dont like full tilt...i mean, within 10 mins had the dominant hand and the board gets 5 of one suit...i mean come on, then to lose my JJ to 22...that was pricess...then i lost that fucking KQ to K5 when he hit runner runner flush...

must be running bad...cuz just getting horrible suck outs against me...getting in ahead and getting deep...just not getting any luck. fucking full tilt.

My last set i finally hit a suckout...up for the night...i am so happy with my play...i need to play more poker...my game is ready...i just need to learn how to deal with the swings...i am just not there yet as you can read!

November 13, 2006

I have decided to try to stick to a much more regimented approach to poker. Let me rephrase – I am going to try to stick to a more regimented approach to poker. The days of my cavalier attitude towards it are over – I have been humbled. Last night, I thought, “Hey, I am not going to drink a beer or two or three for that matter and play poker.” I usually come home from work, after fighting traffic, crack a beer, maybe eat and fire up some tables. That just didn’t seem to work lately, especially with my game being off. So, I have come up with a new approach.

- I am not gonna drink anymore before or while I play.
- There are some online games, not pac-man/video game style games, but these are puzzle games. It’s odd, but when I play them before playing poker, my results at the tables often mimic the results on these games. I think it is a FREE look at my mental focus.
- I will continue to play when I am winning
- I will stop when I am losing

I am excited because all I am requesting of myself is some discipline. If this poker thing is ever going to be something that I do long term, a work-style approach is necessary.

I realized this was necessary because there was just too much variance in my play from one night to another. At the last few jobs I have had, we could crack a beer on Friday afternoon and unwind. A few times, we would crack a beer and realize we had a little more work to do. I would really struggle to find the focus once I started to drink…EUREKA! The reoccurring theme I have is FOCUS and DISCIPLINE. I am making baby steps, but at least I am making progress.

In trying to maintain discipline, I am not going to be playing tonight because I am pretty tired and it is only 7:30 and I havent eaten yet. So, I will just have a little wine, eat dinner and watch monday night football and hit the sack pretty early. Hopefully I will have more energy tomorrow night. Honestly, I think I could play, but i would like to put together some winning sessions and get some momentum going. I used to have maybe one losing session a week...so that is where I would like to get back to.

November 12, 2006

I did some 3-tabling. I decided not to drop down too much, I played 1 $11 and decided to just fire up $22s. I cant win one to save my life, but i got a bunch of 2nds and 3rds. I think i monied in like 4 of 6 or 5 of 7, but i played very patient and was folding some big preflop hands in the face of some limpers or early aggression. I have been reading a lot on limit poker and have decided that i need to select my hands better. Yeah, the game is different, limit vs no limit, but stats is stats and ev is ev...so i am trying to focus better on my game and playing with a clear head...seemed to work today, i hope i can put a few winning days together.

I just uploaded my HHs into tourney manager. I got 4 3rds, a 2nd, and a 4th. Pretty crazy!!

November 10, 2006

I havent played the past two nights. Went to bed early after a few long nights of ass raping in poker. definitely needed the break. looking forward to playing this weekend. i was gonna drop down to the 11s, but forget it. if i crap out playing the 22s, so be it and i will conclude my blog. My desire has been very high and low regarding poker over the past month. I think I can do it, but there are too many other things that are taking precedence. I am not saying I hope I crap out, i still have over 15 buy ins, so actually i might drop down to the 11s because I dont want to sabotage myself. It is just really hard to win your money back at half the rate you lost it.

November 8, 2006

Well, last night was definitely frustrating. Full tilt has been pretty tough on me and I think a day off is in order. I am gonna take today off from poker and watch the Suns play. If i do log some sngs, it will be 1 or 2 tabling and maybe 1 or 2 sessions. not looking to log volume, but spend more time thinking and evaluating my play. I think I need to relax and center myself a little more before I fire up some tables. I pretty much leave work, fight traffic, come home, change my clothes, say hello to my roommates and fire up some tables. I need to slow down, relax, prepare and then play.

November 7, 2006

I have been thinking about what I will be going through as I increase the volume of sngs I play. the swings will come fast and furious. I moved down to the $22+2 sngs on full tilt this weekend and decided to 4-table them with a vengence. In a month, I could easily make $2k+ playing these, so it isnt like there is no money to be made. I think its a good move because my play seems pretty good up to this point and my return is showing that. however, we are talking such a small sample size that it isnt really relevent. I think 1-2 months of 4-tabling the 24s will do me just fine...hopefully can log about 1000 sngs in that time. I have been logging a lot of them this past week, so hopefully can continue.

the hardest part for me is firing up the first set because i immediately put myself at risk to lose money. Once i get going, i am ok...so I have just sat down and started playing the past few nights and have logged a healthy number. I will look later, but i will give an update for my first week in november...i think i am close to the 100 sng target i set, but i also took at least one day off, i think maybe even 2 off this week...I am looking to get at least 100 this next week.

Started the night losing my AA vs QQ on the river. when it flops a gut shot str8 for the queens, i knew i was toast.

Totally had a great play...KK on BB and the sb completes. i just check and queen hi flop, he bets pot, i min raise, he pushes with Q8 and catchs the 8 on the turn.

All big pairs have let me down...I have lost AA, KK, QQ, and KK. tough night. still at it. I just had AA and KK on 2 tables...won them both, but didnt go to showdown.

I have been playing terribly...that and no luck..fuck it, done for the night.

I dont know what it is, but either i just cant do this, or logging lots of hours just isnt possible for me, but i cant seem to get back to where i was. i am going to start playing the 11s...i am just not playing well...dont know what it is...need to take a break and tomorrow sounds great!

November 6, 2006

frustrating...but still at it. playing well and in ahead every time so far, but that guarantees nothing...need to get some wins.

Well, I really dont know how to play much better...i get in ahead and continually get screwed...fuckin 3 outters and over vs underpairs...unreal! I just dont know what to do or change. People make these fucking crazy calls and get paid off...i just dont understand it.

I powered through one final set and finished strong. Helped to salvage the beating I took last night...about even since when I started...up a little I guess if you count rakeback, but that really is a moral victory, not really something to brag about.

I have been giving some serious thought to playing limit...starting to develop my limit game i think would be a good way to build a bankroll and start to learn some more of the nuances of the game.

My set came together because I pulled back my play. I think i was overaggressive on and near the bubble...i would take down chips, but i was not maximizing my play. No, i wasnt pushing my big pairs and scaring people off, but i would reraise very strongly and push drawing hands away...so i think i was my own worst enemy. sometimes getting in ahead isnt all you have to do, you still have to maximize the opportunities you get...and you cant lose sight of that.

November 5, 2006

Well, I played in my bi-weekly game today. It has been about 2 months due to football season, but I really miss it. It was a lot of fun. It was essentially a sng, we only had 11 players today. I was card dead the whole day and had a few chances to go bust, but I played very well. I had KK with a board of A34 all spaces and I held the king of spades. I didnt raise, dude raised 500 and I called...turn came another ace and we both checked. River was a blank and he raised 500...I folded and he flopped the set and turned the FH, so I was lucky the spade never came and I got away pretty cheap. I ended up bubbling when I got 77 and raised on the button. flop came 568 and dude pushed into me. I had to call and he turned over Q10 and I was in pretty good shape...until the turn and river came 10 10 and I got smoked. sure sucked!

I am playing very well live...I think I will start to play more if I can get my online game to come around and fund it. Time to play a little online.

OK, gonna fire up a few sngs...had a few beers, so might only fire up 2.

Been playing a lot...just getting very unlucky...trying to stick with it. I guess I am just running bad, but it went from the live tables and followed me online. These people online continually overplay their hands on Full Tilt and they continually get paid off for it. trying to keep my focus and not go on tilt...I am pretty good at that, but it sure would be nice for a hand to hold up...I am not talkin my 60/40, but have lost pocket pair over pocket pair 3 straight times...please hold up, pleasE!!

I dont know if i am pushing things or if i am just running into monsters...but i am getting solid hands on the bubble and people continually are overplaying theirs...does this mean i am playing mine too meekly on this level? however when i open it up people are catching me with big pairs. tought dilemma...i think its a bad run, but i think I might be forcing some thing while getting a bit unvlucky...all adds up to a bad night!

Been a terrible night...gonna keep playing and when i quit hit the sack...hopefully can finish strong.

November 4, 2006

Well, 0/4 in my first set...lost AA twice, hit top pair but ran into a set, and got sucked out twice on the other to bust. Playing great, getting in ahead and not getting lucky. Full tilt, tho I am very confident it is legit, just seems shitty.

November 3, 2006

I am still not feel all that well. My head just feels out of sorts. I am at work, able to get my work done by the deadline and feel relatively good overall, but my head just doesnt feel right. I hope it isnt anything serious, which i am sure it is not.

So, I hope to log a few sets tonight. I played one very good set last night. Full Tilt just makes me nervous. the suckouts are epic. Any time i get in ahead on the bubble, I figure I am toast. I honestly made a bubble bursting call (well it crippled the dude that pushed, left him with about 100 chips when blinds were 300/600) with J10o. Yes, that is a terrible call...I was fully aware of it. however, my thought process was this. He is shortstacked, like I am, so he is pushing a very wide range. I figured he was either pushing a small pair or a weak ace...he had a weak king and i hit my 10. I was more confident sitting there, on the bubble and all in, with J10o and behind than i am with Ax against two face cards. call me crazy, but thats how full tilt plays out.

anyway, i gotta finish some stuff up at work and I will be at the tables tonight.

November 2, 2006

Man, last night was a bad night for many reasons. I came home and logged a bunch of sngs...didnt upload them because i took an ass raping. it was all bad play...all me. later on, the suns played and i went to watch them on tv, but i got a headache. I never get headaches. this one put me down, ended up puking. went to work, didnt feel quite right today...i think im getting a little sick, but its month end at work and i cant get away right now...too much to do.

so, came home tonight...relaxed and watched the football game. played a quick set of 4...i dont want to go without playing for a day cuz it really hurts in terms of trying to hit my goals. I could easily play another...feeling in control today, but i am happy. I lost my composure, got angry, but played well. full tilt is worse for suck outs than party poker. its fuckin crazy. but, i ended up winning one and taking 2nd in the other...would have won the 2nd one too if my AQ would have held up against K3 to the rivered 3!! unreal...this dude sucked out on me before, on the bubble when i should have busted him, but he sucked out...its good tho, cuz he thinks hes good and i will see him again.

up 105 tonight after losing over 250 last night. i just couldnt cash pasat 3rd place last night...had like 4 3rds and no higher finishes...that kills the ROI.

NOVEMBER!

It's time to get serious and start logging some sngs. 100 a week, 400 a month...get to it!

I am going to start posting my progress towards my weekly goals at the end of my daily entry.

My weekly target is 100+ sngs with a positive ROI.

Got about 10 sngs in....down a few buy ins. Had a hard time controlling my aggression toinight. I reeled it in late and cashed my last 3, but I believe all 3rds. Could have salvaged it with a first, but didnt get there. Finally get my game under control and into the money and then take a few bad ones to knock me out..falling behind early in my session made me tight up on the bubble and not play quite as aggressively as i would normally.

Progress:

Week 1:

October

October was in interesting month. I rediscovered my desire to play poker only to find out that Party Poker wouldnt let me play. So, I had to wait until the dust settled. Once it did, I got set up with a good deal for playing at Full tilt and have not looked back.

So, October was successful in my eyes because it got me back to playing, I am focused and showing the necessary discipline to play profitably, I have software tracking my results, and, most importantly, I have the desire to play. I understand where I need to go and what it takes to get there. I just need to find out if I have what it takes to execute the plan. I think I do.

I am setting goals of 100 sngs a week. The first $400 in rakeback I get I will use to buy a new monitor and start to 6-table. That alone will allow me to increase the volume of play by 50% with no additional time investment. Where else can you find a $350 investment increase productivity 50%?

I am looking foward to November!

I wanted to add a few notes. November is going to be my proving grounds. I am focused on getting over this mental hump that has been keeping me from really seeing what my future holds in poker. I am sick of speculating when all I have to do to prove what I can do is play.

In the past, this blog is really something I do for me, not really caring if anyone actually reads it. Now I care about my success, about getting over the hump and logging significant amounts of sngs, and reaping the rewards. So, WHEN I do make it over the hump, I think adding more insight into what I do, how I do it, and what process is very important. Up to this point, the answers to those questions are irrelevant because my progress isnt exceptional. once i get over that hump, i think the path I took will be much more meaningful because it lead to somewhere others are trying to go.

Not that I am not at a solid intermediate step. I was always a winning player. let me rephrase that, it took very little tweaking of my game, all which i did on my own, to make myself into a winning player. so i had a lot less work to do to get to where I am...all the more reason to not be impressed with my accomplishments. Now, i have to put in the work and GRIND the tables. that is something i have had very mixed success with. November is the test...lets see if i end up hitting my goals or if i am full of hot air.

Halloween

I didnt play any poker last night. After I got home from work, I relaxed and ordered some pizza for the Monday night game. After eating a bunch, I got tired and went to bed around 8:30. the plan was to be fully recharged for the week to log a bunch of hours at the tables, but I am feeling more tired today than yesterday. Hopefully it is just a slow start, but I should have taken a vitamin this morning. I took one two days in a row and felt really good…I might start to make that part of the daily regimen.

I think I would just like to set a weekly goal of 90-100 sngs. Enough blogging for right now, I will be playing tonight and giving updates.

Work is winding down for the day and I am feeling very focused on playing poker tonight. I know the Suns are playing their first game of the season tonight, but I need to make up for last night. If I can log a solid 3 sets in before the game I should be set. I am promising myself that if I am winning at the end of 3 sets, I will fire up another. I need to play more when I am winning, less when losing...seems obvious doesn't it?? Try it!! It is much harder than it sounds!

Well, I played about 10 sngs and was down 2 buy ins, watch some of the suns game and then fired up a set of 4. Ended the night up almost 2 buy ins...so was a very nice last set. I played well, patient and caught a few cards. Was brutal early when my hands were getting outdrawn...damn flushes. I lost to 3 rivered flushes...I realize its all part of the plan, but I took them in stride. I am getting much better about taking beats and just rollin with it. Another winning night, up over $55. Alomst have the roll over $1k! I am happy I got about 10 in tonight...looks like there are plenty people on Full Tilt to make it worthwhile to keep firing them up until 10:30...there were still over 21k people on the site when I am writing this. Hopefully I can start hitting the gym and logging 6 tables!

October 30, 2006

Had a good weekend. A bit disappointed in myself because I still did not hit the very attainable goal I set for myself. The odd part is that after I played a few sets 3- and 4-tabling, I remember saying to myself how easy it would be to hit goals if I can 4-table. I mean, 3-sets and I have 12 sngs played…play a 4th and we start to push 20 in a day, which is a really good number for me. Maybe I need a partner in crime…someone that plays a lot of sngs and I can see them do it, but for some reason I have a mental block. I know it has to do with results-oriented thinking and being happy I am up for the day, but I need to focus more on the number of sngs played, NOT the amount I have won.

I hear stories of people going from the $11s to the $109s in months…and I have run the numbers and know I could jump up within a few months too if I could hit my projections. It might be tough for me to hit my projections this week because I am wrapped up in sports lately…Monday night football tonight, then Suns basketball games Tuesday and Wednesday, and then a great college football match up on Thursday. I would like to log 12 a night, but we shall see. Once I can 6-table, that would only be just over 1 hour of work a night…that would be pretty amazing. Just for those that are not numbers oriented, let me break it down to what 12 and 18 sngs a night would equate to.

I am assuming an attainable, yet respectable ROI or 12%

12 sngs a night:
360 a month
$1850

18 sngs a night
540 sngs a month
$2775
When I jump to the $60, those numbers change to $3,078 and $5,617 respectively. Now we are talking. Previously, I think my over-confidence dropped my ROI significantly when I started to 4-table. I was still able to make money, but my return was dropping. I can feel the difference in my level of concentration. While there are still the unavoidable bad beats, it is much easier to take lately because I know the game I am playing is the game I envision in my head…I was unable to execute it before, but now I am in the right mindset to do what is necessary to bring my game, and my returns, to the next level.

October 29, 2006

Getting a later start than I wanted, but went 0/3 and was card dead...when I did get in, I was in with the best, just never held up...not bad, hoping my luck gets a little better next set. $36s on FT take forever to start.

Just finished up my last set of 4...needed to fire them up quickly, so i started 3 $36 and a $24. The first two i finished up I won took 2nd in the other and bubbled on the last...nice set after starting 0/3. Woulda been huge had I cashed in the final one...but very happy with the way they all played out. I was big stack on most of them...played patient and my hands held up and i won a few coinflips. Gonna try to get another set in...

I didnt get another set in...I need to get over this hump. I always find a distraction. I think part of it is that I am up and satisfied...instead of going for the kill and a huge day, i pack it in and figure its good enough...so the only time i ever log a lot of sngs is when i am having a losing day...and thats just plain stupid. I will get over this, but i just cant wait until i can get a new monitor. I think around the holidays or just after I will have to invest in a new one and start to 6 table...

This damn gambler's mentality...I want to hit the tables quick and run. That is my blackjack strategy and it worked well for me. I need to disconnect poker from gambling because I have the edge...i need to continue playing when my game is tight...it was TIGHT tonight and I didnt play more. what is my problem!!!

October 28, 2006

Everyone is hitting their draws against me today...fucking unreal. Trying to stick with it...so far, not affecting me too much.

I am getting very unlucky today. Sticking with it...trying to remain clear headed...just need a few hands to hold up and will be fine.

Buckled down late and hand a few hands hold up...just zbout broke even for the session...i think i lost the bonus they released for me and a little more, but thats not too bad. I had a really bad run to start my set, so i am glad i was able to finish strong and continue to play winning poker as I took some nasty ones. I am gonna take a break and start up some more later...In another 10 minutes i will upload my HHs into tourney manager and see how it all shakes out.

I think the problem with my HHs from full tilt is that if you try to upload them before they are complete, i think it messes up the file and the end is created on a different file...so it messes up the HH. I am being patient and will see if this solves my problem.

I think waiting solved the problem...sweet.

I started up the first of my next set...hoping to play for at least an hour and a half...so looking to get in a min of 6, hopefully closer to 10.

Fired up 4 sngs...trying to get back into 4-tabling...

Solid first set...had one sng where i got sucked out on twice and finally the 3rd nasy one knocked me out...sometimes you have to figure you played well, thats all u can do.

Finished up my first set 4-tabling with 2 2nds and a bubble...played extremely well. My level of focus is there...gonna fire up another set.

I got sidetracked and was reading some articles online...so never got that last set fired up. If i got one more set it, that would be 20 for thei night...not too bad.

October 27, 2006

I cant get over how different my attitude is towards poker right now. Now I see why my game was break even at best over the past month or two. I took a very cavalier attitude towards the game...like my lower limit sng game could never be -EV...could it? I mean, I used to to grind the $77s, how could I not dominate the $22s? well, its pretty simple stupid! You took an arrogant approach to playing and didnt give it your best effort.

So, now that I feel my mental focus is where it needs to be, i am so excited. I can feel the game coming to me...in a previous post, i was thinking about how I havent come that far in my poker game, but now i might have to reconsider. this break really has opened my eyes and given me some perspective. I just got a bunch of books from party poker and I am ready to grow my roll and start expanding my game. now, i hope i can maintain this level enthusiasm and focus.

I cant wait to play this weekend. I never really have played a ton in a weekend...I am going to try to log 60-75 sngs this weekend. I will post periodic updates on my progress.

Side note here...I am seriously starting to put together a plan to move outta the country. Nothing too crazy, and its going to be a 10 year plan...but, here are my thoughts.

the more i see of this country, the more i want to escape. do i really see it being better anywhere else? Not really, but i definitely dont see it any worse. and, if i can live a more independent lifestyle at a fraction of the costs, while not being bombarded by the american media, i think that is definitely a step up.

My goal is to take some of my poker winnings and do two things with it. One - find other places to make some money online. there are tons of casino bonuses that you can clear and it is actually positive EV when you break it down - assuming the game is a fair one...and that might be a bad assumption.

Two - I would like to start some sort of internet business. It doesnt have to generate a lot of money, but it would be nice if it could net about $1k a month. outside of this country, that kind of money is pretty darn solid and might even be able to sustain me...so that is something i am looking to develop so there is even less pressure on playing poker. regardless, i dont think i would even want to build a big business/internet business because then it would just become more work, feeding the greed, and defeating the purpose of getting out of the country. I am looking for a simpler life.

October 26, 2006

I am working out the kinks with the developer of the Tourney Manager software. It is great and he is very responsive. I would recommend it to anyone that would like a piece of software to track their progress and results.

I started playing some $36 sngs last night on Full Tilt. I feel that I have adjusted to the 9-man tables and different blind structure. I just cant stop thinking that I should be playing the $60s. However, I need to keep things at a slower pace and work my way up. the $36s offer plenty of $$ to the winner and I need to continue to get back into it before I get too greedy. Bankroll building is not something that can be rushed - it takes time and consistency. I usually take a very conservative approach to building a bankroll and never crap out once I hit a certain threshold. I believe this time will be no different because I never play outside of my means. The first few months, I am going to be accumulating my rakeback in my Neteller account and once I clear all my bonuses, I will start to make deposits and build my roll a bit more quickly. After I reach the $60s, when my bankroll reaches $2000 at a minimum, is when i believe things will start to get exciting. It really is hard to stay patient while I move back up the ranks, but humilty is a huge part of poker and long term success.

So, reading a lot of poker blogs, i am continually surprised that people update so infrequently. Poker is stressful and lonely work...i mean LONELY! If you dont have poker friends you know what i am talking about. To speak passionately about poker, your gameplan, and your goals to non-poker players, they will either listen and then tell you to pick up a new hobby. Or, they will just wait until there is a lull to change the subject - bottom line is no one wants to hear it. so you figure this out and never talk about it...it is hard to keep all of this stuff internalized and i use my blog to spew out my excitement as well as my frustrations. it is therapeutic...

Last night was a winning night...I believe I logged about 10 sngs, but I cant be sure because I am not a big fan of full tilt's hand histories. as i mentioned earlier, they are not uploading properly into the tourney manager software, so i cannot count them via the software. I believe i counted 11 new ones, but I really dont know. I am sure a fix will be available in the next day or two and I will be happy once again. until then, i need to concentrate on my day job. After the gym tonight, its poker!

A few notes i wanted to document.
- I need a bigger monitor
- I need to get back to 4-tabling profitably
- I need to only 2-table currently

I went back to the first few months of my blog and read a few of my entries. I have decided that I am only slightly ahead of where i was when i started this year...at least in terms of my poker game. I believe much of this was due to work, but the other part is from bankroll constraints, ie taking money out to pay bills. It is really disruptive to your game because as you start to generate more money, if you do not move up, it stunts your poker growth and boredom isnt far behind. i think that is part of my problem.

I have read a lot of blogs where the person went from rags to riches in a year. I believe my intellect affords me that opportunity, but my desire might not be there. I am pretty mentally drained when i get home from work, so logging 2+ hours at the tables is pretty tough for me. I am anxious to see what I could do if i were properly bankrolled and able to log 3-4 hours a day while 4 tabling. that would definitely be the right number of sngs to make substantial money. when i had the opportunity to do this, i blew it...took a wicked downswing early and lost my nerve.

my gameplan is to play out the rest of October, reassess, and set some goals for November and December. getting back into poker is kinda like riding a bike...you dont forget, but you arent quick as good at it as when you left...I am going to try to push myself harder this time around...learn from my mistakes, and make a push to support myself through poker. my first goal is to break the $1k mark in my bankroll ASAP...i am just one really good session away from doing that...

Had a nice session...was up $80 and still had my last sng open. Was playing so well tonight...i would love to continue playing, but i need to think about bed...i was on the bubble, had a dude all in with my KK vs A4 suited and he spiked the A on the river. seems like those damn weak aces always get me, but i never seem to hit with it...but overall, a good night.

October 25, 2006

I am excited to feel the poker bug in me again. My only fear, and part of the reason I took a break, was because I started a new job and wanted to focus on it. Well, I hope I can balance everything. I love my job, but unless I can make a little more, poker will be a part of my life. If i could get a $20k raise, I would set poker aside...it would be just a hobby.

So, back to grinding and I am pretty damn excited about it!

As anticipated, I am thinking about poker while I am at work...this is not good because i cannot focus on work then. However, while mulling over stats and numbers, it reminds me why I was so "addicted" to poker before. The money is just so crazy. I read a lot of blogs about people that are winning a lot of money and it just is crazy...the amount of money young kids are throwing around...I just hope they have the good sense to put some of it away.

Anyway, I am setting some goals for myself. I am so excited to be tracking my statistics again. Software is such a blessing! I am going to be playing a combination of $24 and $36 sngs for the foreseeable future. I used to grind the $77s on party, but I am slowly getting back into it. I cashed out all my bankroll and its sitting in neteller, but i put $600 in Full tilt for the bonus and I am hoping i can grow my bankroll without ever having to reload...I also want to start to develop a more well rounded game...i think reading some of the poker books i bought would help.

Off the top of my head - my goal is to log 1000 $24 and $36 sngs before moving up. Not 1000 of each, but a combination. if i find that I am dominating at the 500 sng mark, then i will move up to the $60s. I am also playing around with my target # of sngs per month and havent figured out what would be a good number. I would like to see about 250-300 a month, but I used to 4-table and was thinking about adding more...so If I start to 4-table again soon, I am thinking 400 a month would be a good number...plus, i am playing turbos...i used to play regulars. this is fun and exciting...Tonight, i will start 2 tabling and if I am playing well, move to 3. I am sure i will be 4-tabling in no time. BOTTOM LINE: 350 sngs per month is the bare minimum i should be shooting for. If i ever want to grow a bankroll and get it to where I can support myself, i need to get used to logging a lot of sngs, and 350 is a drop in the bucket!

Mad at myself right now cuz i flopped a set and it folded me cuz i was paying too much attnetion to another table...cost me a buy in.

Not a bad night. A little bad play by me tonight...starting to overplay on the bubble...need to get that under control. Once I reel that in, I will be happy. I would play more, but I was up more after 2 sngs than I am after a bunch more. Plus I got my first $20 released from Full Tilt, so I think I only won a few bucks tonight...but logging tables is what is important...

I wasnt able to focus on more than 2 tables today. I think the small size of these tables is making it hard for me to see how much each player has in front of them...eye strain is becoming a problem, so i will have to get a better, bigger monitor.

Looking forward to tomorrow.

October 24, 2006

So I am at it again...had aces twice today and cracked both times...not off to the start i wanted, but I feel I am playing well. I can't wait until I start to log some more significant numbers of sngs so I can determine if i am playing a profitable game...hard to tell. I feel good about it, but never can tell until the money starts coming in over the long run.

I remember why I hated poker before. Man, I am playing really well, getting in ahead and losing. At least I got to heads up this time. The break really helped because it doesnt bother me nearly as much as it did when I was grinding. However, the memories are starting to come back and the emotions that I felt...thankfully, like i mentioned, my emotions dont come up to the surface like they used to. Either it is me improving my level of control, or just the benefit of taking a short break. I think it will be important to distinguish which one it is because if its the former, I will be very happy. It will mean another step overcome in my journey...if its the latter, then it looks like I have some more work to do....regardless, back to the tables...

I'M BACK, BABY!

I have been questioning my game because I have been experiencing a lot of bad beats and just horrible luck. But, after a while you start to get sick of hearing yourself say it. I mean, come on, I am aware it is very easy to fool yourself, so I try to be as objective as possible when evaluating my game. I feel I am playing solid sng poker again. I qualify that because I realize sng poker is not poker...its a more mechanical style that takes some skill on the bubble, but thats about it.

Currently, I am playing the $22+2 turbos on Full Tilt. They are pretty laughable, so I am glad to be playing and eating a lot of fish...I have tourney manager up and running and will start tracking my stats again. when party changed its format and they wouldnt upload into sng tracker, that made me lose focus because i need to look at the numbers to stay interested...let me restate that because it is so important, I NEED TO SEE THE NUMBERS TO STAY FOCUSED! What that means is that I need to keep solid statistics if I am going to do this long term. I cannot take a cavalier attitude towards it. After I stopped keeping stats and obsessing over my game, I took the attitude that if bankroll keeps growing, who cares how quickly it grows or what my ROI is. That complacency is what causes games to erode to barely profitable or -EV. I am promising myself that I will be as diligent now as I was before. It's time to make some money!

October 16, 2006

I am no football coach, but I understand a few things about football. One is that when you are a good team, you usually get one chance to win the game. The Cardinals have had their one chance the past 3 home games we have gone to and pissed it away each time. It really is sad...soo sad and frustrating. A team that is soo close, I just dont know what the problem is.

I took tonight off from poker to go to the Monday Night Football Game. What an amazing game...too bad it went against us! Bears 24 Cardinals 23!

October 15, 2006

I deposited $600 in Full Tilt, so I am going to be trying to get playing on Full Tilt. They have a good rakeback deal there, so I might start trying some at Poker Stars later. I just want to find the place where I will be logging and grinding most of my tables. For now, rakeback wins.

Well, I played about 6 sngs...not really sure. I have to adjust to the new blind structure on Full Tilt. It threw me for a bit, i had to make adjustments because I was getting too aggressive too fast. There are far more intermediate blind levels than on party...i mean, they dont double like on party, they go from 20/40, 30/60, 40/80, or something like that, instead of just doubling...so it took a little adjusting. I finished strong with a first and a second...full tilt seems cool...cant wait to log some more tables this week...i really gotta get back into poker! i make too much money playing to turn my back on it.

Anyway, I felt better later in the session...finally didnt overplay my hands and get too aggressive. no poker tomorrow...MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL BABY!

October 9, 2006

I played 6 sngs. Have to admit i played much too loose my first couple...played well the last few. my final two sngs i took 3rd and 1st. played well in the one i took 3rd...pushed with 44. i couldnt believe it when i got called with Q10 offsuit. Truly unreal! Ended up realizing that if i win the final sng, i would be up the vig i lost last night...thankfully I took it down and won my first sng in a while...back to my even 100. feeling pretty good...i am ready to do some more of this...cant wait until the legislation BS gets sorted out.

October 8, 2006

Well, I cashed everything but $100 out of party. Gonna wait to see what happens. I started to play some $11s and played well. hands just arent holding up...its weird, like i am card dead for days, then i make it to 5 left, blinds 200/400 and i finally see a big pair, KK. I raise, get one caller, flop come 868, i figure no ace, i push, of course he has A8o. thats the kind of shit im talking about...

Played 4 sngs and took 2 3rds...so lost vig. not bad. i am back to playing a tight game preflop. I just wasnt able to find the groove before, but now i think my game is coming around...still not where i want it to be, but getting closer. I cant wait until this online poker ban bullshit blows over so i can figure out where i want to start amassing player points. I have been wanting to jump to Poker Stars for a while, so now it seems like a great time assuming they are available to US-based players. If not, i will look for a site with the best rakeback deals and largest volume of players. If i go to Stars, i will sure miss rakeback.

October 2, 2006

Well, What a time to try to find focus on poker...it appears the legislation is actually going to have some affect on my life. Those fuckin crooked politicians messing around where they shouldnt again. Right now, its all speculation and posturing...and there is over reaction online. I will wait a few days until the smoke clears. most reputable sites are restricting deposits and cash transfers among US-based players. Some say the legislation will not affect the their customers...I sure hope its all talk, but if Party goes away, and Poker stars does too, then i will have to find the most popular new site because all the fish will school there...kinda sucks, but too early to tell. lets see how it shakes down.

September 30, 2006

I will get playing later tonight. No MTTs, though I feel I have been playing well in them, just running bad. I will reward myself with one or two if I can start to put together winning days again. I do feel like I am able to play the disciplined game required to make money. Hopefully it will translate to the tables and some cash flow. Hoping to log a few hours later tonight. Gonna go have a few beers, so I dont know how I will feel when I get home.

September 28, 2006

Just got home from work, ate, and relaxed for a bit. about ready to get playing. I brought some work home, but realized I cannot access the data I need. I sent myself a link to a website and it isnt working...either maintenance time or only accessible on the intranet...I have a feeling they are doing maintenance.

So, I thought that because I am having a hell of a time focusing, I would use this blog as my way to begin thinking poker. It has been really tough focusing on anything for me and I dont know what the problem is...but last night I could feel the difference. I felt the focus and the correct decisions were easy. I was struggling to even play the game I would envision in my mind. I saw myself in my head folding my A10s, but when I opened my eyes, there was a limp or a raise in front of me. Seriously weird shit! Thinking about it just helped me get in the mindset...i feel the brainwaves aligning...game on!

Update:

Well, 0/2 in sngs so far. first one i was card dead and pushed AKs and lost a coin flip. played well that sng. next one i pushed prematurely. i want to document my mistakes until i get back to my game. amazingly, i am still alive in the $40k. My AA is taking a beating tonight...actually laid it down on the river too...crazy. updates to follow...

Ok, saw a dude call post flop with 55 after flopping all overs...now ive seen it all!

Man, i play pretty well, people get lucky, its bullshit. I get QQ, I raise 3.5xbb and he pushes with AQ and catches a fucking flush lol

I am going to just play one table until i get my game back...no hurry.

These fuckin people are crazy, i pushed 98o on button and dude called me for almost all his chips with 78s...what the fuck

September 27, 2006

Well, i have disappeared for a while, and I havent been playing much poker. I won some to help pay for my car and tried to carry on the momentum, but just didnt have the focus. I played way too loose and careless...ended up giving a lot back this month. so, i havent played very much...i wanted to focus on my trading training, but work demands are taking priority and i need to focus there first. I have a solid thing going and need to take care of business...moreover, i am excited at my new opportunity at work.

so, i played a little tonight cuz i finally felt like i was ready. I felt focused and ready to play the game i knew needed to be played...i took 2nd in my only regular sng tonight...and played a very, very solid 2 MTTs. i battled in both all the way past the first break...i stole about 1500 in chips in both before the break and had about 5000+ in both without ever going to showdown. when I decided to make a stand, i got all in with JJ vs 22 and he caught a 2 on the flop. Hated to see it because i was playing good, solid, tight poker and it put me in a position to money...I feel like I am ready to concentrate on poker again!

I wanted to post one more time before bed. I am starting to get excited about playing poker again, so hopefully I will be at it and hope for a winning october. I want to start pulling money out soon, so i better start grinding. I am hoping to start taking money out every month at the new year, then gear up to qualify for the WSOP through satellites and freerolls. I will even play a few $250+ buy in tourneys to try to win a seat...thats the gameplan.

August 18, 2006

had a good night...played 4 sngs, took 2 firsts and a 3rd. ended up 380 in sngs and down 22 in MTTs...played the $40k guaranteed and busted about the midway point after the first break. up a solid amount and played well...hopefully can do it again tomorrow. from here on out, i am cashing out everything over 3500 and right now, i sit at 3588 with over 120 in rakeback and 75 in affiliate payouts...so thats almost 300...hellz yeah!

August 17, 2006

I have decided to shift gears and concentrate on day trading training, so poker is taking a back seat. Thats great news though because i think trading is a bit more stable, which is funny. anyway, i will get into more details later...after i finish up playing

the speeds are much looser preflop and people start to get jumpy come level 4. its expensive to play hands though...cuz you get raised and reraised quite a bit more, so you have to play only the solid hands and hope to catch a monster. I dont limp much, but when you get opportunities in late position with solid hands, you might want to take them. Opportunities come few and far between.

just won one and then called a push on the bubble with A8 and he had K8 and caught the king on the river...what a joke...i should have cashed and now i will bubble. same guy, i push with 44 and catch a straight, but i catch trips and the board gets a straight and he splits with me...unfuckingreal!

its only fitting that i make a comeback only to run into this AA and bubble anyway. I just dont see the bullshit variance ever shift back my way, thats the reason i get so sick of playing and just might play MTTs, but this poker this is too messed up. I mean, 3:1 doesnt mean 3:1...at least not in my world.

August 11, 2006

I have started to dabble in the speeds more. I have also decided to take a different approach to blogging. I will just update a few times a week, not every day. I dont like the fact that this becomes a bitching session, but the bottom line is that bad beats and bad runs of cards and luck are going to happen. They will happen in short intervals, like during one set, and in long intervals, over the couse of weeks. I am finally starting to understand a few things...well, not understand because i have always understood the theory behind poker and statistics, but i didnt understand the emotional side of what those statistics mean. You just got to deal with it and stay focused...dont let it get to you because it will never go away...either embrace it or quit. and i think that those people on the tables that are complaining all teh time...they just havent done it yet.

anyway, back to the speeds...

played in a $44 MTT and took 14th of 504. was all in with 44 and lost my coin flip to AK. played well, made a lot of great steals...never should have gotten as deep as i did, but i stole a ton of blinds and then caught a hand and was able to win a few here and there. very happy with how i played...might play a few more speeds.

August 7, 2006

Like a good boxer, i brush myself off and get up off the canvas. My ass has been handed to me a few times in the past few weeks...pretty much in a break even stretch here...get up a little, lose it back along with my confidence. Just not having a heck of a lot of fun right now, but a pro would sit back down and play. Not that I am a pro, but i would want to emulate that mindset and approach. so, here i go...

i think i located my major weakness...i am rushing things on teh bubble...granted i am ahead, but i need to slow down. sure, most times it will be pushed at me by the turn, but i need to pull back and resist that urge to push. It forces the issue and if you are all in by the flop, you may be ahead, but your hand must withstand 2 more cards, which can obviously shift the nuts several different ways when its all said and done. patience...i think i finally internalized this one and will always look for this weakness in my game because its so natural to me...i realized this by 2 tabling and really concentrating...i am not respecting the game...i am 2 tabling until i get my head on straight.

Al, i wanted to say thanks for the talk today...i enjoy our talks and they help me get in the right frame of mind...slightly more open, but our discussion tonight helped me make a few connections that I had missed...part of it being my thoughts in the previous paragraph. I also think that the depth of the commitment I made today with my training is finally setting in and I am feeling excited and looking forward to getting started...I just feel like things are happening and I am almost a little scared because I am finally setting myself up for success...strange...this moment of clarity has manifested itself as a sense of calm over me....i have never felt like this before...i mean, really i havent. i have also never gone this far towards creating goals and situations to suceed...i wonder if subconsciously i know i am heading in the right path and am preparing for the road ahead...lets see, but right now i couldnt be more at peace with my situation.

Ok, so far today i am down vig in my sngs...lost the first 2 and realized the error of my ways, then played to a 2nd, where i had the chip lead, a small one, heads up. so, not bad...i was feeling focused today, so i thought a cheap MTT would be a fun thing to do since i will be working really hard starting next week and wont have time to play these very much anymore...so i treated myself to an $11 MTT. right now, 2nd break, average stack is 18,100 and i have 41,105. Playing well, taking my time, letting hands develop, not overbetting...its like clarity returns, until i get sucked out on, but i will still be playing the hands well...i have been overbetting baby, once again i see it and i will not forget this one! Updates on the MTT to follow:

$11 MTT:

First break 7200
Second break 41,105 (111 left, 100 money)

August 6, 2006

OK, it is with a renewed sense of discipline that i have taken on my challenge. I fucked around too much with MTTs last night...and should have cashed one, but made a move with JJ and dude had AA...not much of a move with JJ though, not much more i could have done.

Today, doing ok, took a first in my first set of 4. played well, made one loose call with 66 nearing the bubble...huge pot, took a chance and lost. i needed to get a big pot in there anyway at some point, and there was a lot of dead money in the pot and the big stack had pushed, i figured to muscle everyone...i put him on a strong suited ace and i called. he had jacks and i am writing in my blog right now...so it apparently didnt turn out for me. i might make that call again, but i did have a comfortable stack and it might have been a bit too aggressive. nah, i wouldnt do it again...shoulda folded.

I played well in the others. should have made the money in another but took back to back nasty ones from a dude. he was cool, we were chatting while we were playing, so it didnt sting like it normally would have...its funny, i chat with people that i see a lot online if they are willing to talk...its good to get to know the competition because i see them on here all the time. plus, heres the cool thing, if you get to know them, then you will play a better game when they are on your table...helps stay disciplined. OK, time to get some more going...playing well today. Need a little more impulse control this set...i fought it a lot last time and that one call proved it gets the best of me...

I am really starting to question the statistics behind poker...i mean, i realize they are what they are, but they just let you overestimate your hand...in my last set, here is the list of beats I took:

A7 vs A6 on the bubble simulataneously on another table, i have K10 with a K 10 on the flop, some dude pushes with A3 and catches runner runner for the straight.

my QQ lost to 88 when he pulled a 4 flush and busted me on the bubble

lost JJ to A9 on the bubble too

and lost AQ vs A3 heads up to win it, then I took 2nd.

all those beats probably cost me close to 500 bucks...maybe much more if i could have finished off those bubble situations. hard to stay focus, but i need a break...gonna chill, maybe play some more later. these donks are horrible on party poker, but they keep finding ways to suck out.

I dont think i am cut out for poker...i mean, i bubbled again, big stacks just suck and arent calling anything...i lose after getting sucked out on 3 different times...i build, get sucked out on, rebuild, get sucked out on...brutal. i cant do it...time to look into day trading...hopefully more stable...then i will come back adn play limit. do some bonus whoring and gear up for live play.

I did dabble in the speeds...played 2 adn took a 3rd. in typical fashion, we are all pretty evenly stacked, i get KK in BB and he pushes at me with A5o...i call of course and he flops 2 aces. more speeds...im gonna play speeds cuz they just go so much faster.

I like the speeds...time to start concentrating on these.

August 5, 2006

Took a few days off, time to get down to business. Just getting started, might play a few MTTs today too...i know i can play them, but i feel i can be disciplined today!

doing ok...hands not holding up too well today, but managed a 2nd and i bubbled...real shitty. i might take breaks from blogging...it just becomes too much.

Ah, i was venting earlier...i know keeping a blog keeps me focused and documents my progress...i understand its value as a tool, but it just becomes part of the grind. I have been going through a slow spell here...good hands, getting in with the best, and losing. i am playing a MTT right now..made a move and got to even..then won a little one before the break and went up to about 3900 chips. i have just over 8000 right now..trying to be good. next break is 40 mins away...lets see what happens. i might start up a few $44 MTTs.

Just entered the $44 MTTs and fired up a $55 sng. i busted out of the 20k MTT when my AJ lost to KJ. I smoked this guy a few hands ago, and he spite called me and found out he had 3 outs. only to hit his king on the river...i woulda had over 10k in chips, but i was left with 3000, then lost AQ vs 99.

Played 2 sngs, took 2nd in both...busted out of one of my MTTs, but doing ok in the other...just lost a few chips before break, but still sitting ok.

This is priceless....so i get pretty deep in the MTT im in...28 people left, i have a decent stack, i get AA...i raise, get reraised and we are all in, we both have AA and split...8 hands later or so, i get AA on the button...i call the preflop raise and both blinds come along...3 fuckin hearts on the flop, and i get all in with the nut flush draw and 2 people called with flushes...i miss my flush, but damn, the fuckin flush on the flop cracked my aces pretty quick...damn, its hard to take sometimes...so AA twice and nothing to show for it.

Unreal...i need to quit poker lol these beats are too much...i have 10s preflop, raise 2 callers, KQ 10 flop...i raise, one caller...we get all in on the turn, he has KQ for 2 pair and gets a king on the river...all night lost JJ to 44 when he got the wheel on the turn...AJs to A2 to bubble...AA to J8..fuckin unreal.

I was in a huge pot multiway and i flop the nut flush...only to lose to the str8 flush...just crazy.

I was pretty undisciplined this weekend...i need to refocus and start playing sngs with a new sense of urgency...play smart!

Bubbled in the $10k guaranteed...so made it pretty deep. I could have blinded it out into the money, but i was looking to make a move. the play on MTTs is just so terrible its amazing. people call and bet with anything. that will be the last MTT for me for some time...i need to concentrate on grinding. poker truly is a grind, i am not having too much fun with it right now.

August 4th, 2006

I took last night off...I made the decision because there will be 2 little kids staying with us for a week and i am sure that i will be missing a day during august here and there...so i didnt want to put too much pressure on myself. I did forego poker for a good reason, however. I met up with my new friends and we talked about day trading. I am intrigued by it and am going to learn more...gonna buy some books and start training. Man, i had a liquid dinner last night...pretty much crown and coke and budweisers...paying for it today!

I knew I would be able to make up some hours on the tables this weekend and also tonight. I am excited to get back...the day off was nice and i think important for a fresh mindset.

I ended up going to the diamondbacks game. Jilliann got some good tickets and we had to go...we left and the game was tied, but they gave up two runs in the top of the 9th, so im glad we left early and beat the rush...its nice to be 10 mins from the stadium.

August 2, 2006

Well, worked late today...got home around 7:15. Its cool though...I came home, had a snack and fired up some tables. I had a solid set and lost a quick one, so fired up another...ended up with 2 2nds and a 3rd. up 125 and going to fire up another set pretty soon.

Took some rough ones late in my last set...bubbled on one and busted 5th on another after getting in ahead. Luck has evened out a bit...about what is to be expected. I am still in one sng...its a crap shoot right now, i am right up there with the leaders, but we all have like 3500-4000 in chips with blinds at 200/400, i have made a lot of pushes to chip up...never having to show down.

Took a bad run of cards and i lost my last set...the streaks of wins and losses is crazy, i wish it would smooth out a little...hold up a few times, then maybe a bad beat. the ups and downs are really hard to handle, but again, i need to focus on it being just part of the long term goal...the individual game doesnt matter, if you play it to the best of your ability...you will lose more than you win, but in the long run, your wins will return you a certain %age...as long as its over 10%, im cool...shit, over 8%. If i move up to the 109s, 8% would be just fine. Logged my tables for the night...14 of em...off to the sack.

August 1, 2006

Ok, despite only winning 85 bucks during my last 163 sngs...I feel fortunate. I won about a grand over July...sucks cuz i was up 1900 at one point...then just watched my bankroll dwindle...but I am encouraged because my play has come around, but the results just arent there. But, that is part of my challenge...its to overcome the results oriented thinking and focus on playing a solid game and logging tables. So, I have a lot of things riding on August...first off, Party has a promo that if you earn 100 party points every day in august, you win 300. Missing a day happens, but i am going to try to get that bonus, which means 9 sngs a night...which is significant, but that will ensure that i make my goal for sngs played...i am going to 2 table my first set and start to scale back a bit so i can concentrate a bit more, rediscover my game, and then add more tables...lets see how tonight goes!

Firing up set 1.

Set 1 went well, finished with a first and a second. Played very well...very happy with the way things went...my bubble play and itm play on the one i won left something to be desired...i was far too passive. the irony is that before i was playing well and losing, now we spent 20 mins with 3 people and no one can eliminate someone...blinds were 600/1200 lol

i did lay a nasty bad beat on the shortstack...we went at it preflop, he had KK i had QQ both of us had a club...the board ended up with X89 10 J of clubs, so i pulled the straight flush lol

Finished up my last set of 6 with 2 firsts...so I'm up tonight...woohoo...so, here is the problem...should i keep playing? i think i will take a short break and play some more. Playing stone sober tonight...a clear mind make a difference? Just a snifter of cognac while i played and i feel mellow!

July 31, 2006

Well, I am officially getting beat down. Just taking unreal beats...i gotta tell one...

I have 99 on the button and two in front of me are raising preflop. I call and the flop comes JJ9. check, bets of 325, I call, it is raised to 650, original raiser folds. I call, turn come rag, he pushes, i call, he had KJ for trip Jacks and I have him dominated with my 9s full Jacks. He hits a Jack on the river to take it down...thats unreal. time to play a few more.

July 30, 2006

Happy Birthday to Jill...today is her birthday.

I am firing up my first set...hoping I can turn around from a losing night. Bad play and horrible beats were the theme of last night...i have a newfound sense of discipline, lets see if i can make it translate to the tables.

First hand i play, i get 2 pair by the turn and lose to the rivered flush...but, i only lost a few hundred chips...

I the bad beats started to slow down, a few hands held up, and I actually laid down a pretty nasty bad beat on someone. won like 30 on my first set. I feel like I am not playing as fast as i was before...i dont know what it was, but i just felt like something was pushing me. I got that under control, so now i need to learn to prevent it from happening.

My last set...i lost a flush to a full house on the river...and my JJ lost to 99 when he flopped quads on the bubble...just fuckin unreal. I need to keep working through this. the hard part is that i am playing well, losing when I am a 4:1 favorite and still bubbling...so its hard to find any upside until my luck starts to turn. I have been losing every coin flip and losing every time i am dominating...so i have to assume its just variance because i am continually in ahead and losing...frustrating.

Just lost AK to Kq when he caught a 4 to the flush...and KK to QQ in a 3 way all in pot..man, this is fuckin bullshit!

Finished my last set with a first and a second...Im up in 55 sngs, but lost 2 77s....so overall, down a few bucks...i fired up 4 more and a $22 MTT.

I have been watching people take horrible beats all night, but for some reason I am still playing. Had a solid set...starting to pick up my winning ways. Had a first and a third in my last set...so I am up over 250 playing $55s, down 154 in 77s...and I am in a $22 MTT, just doubled up, so sitting at just over 6500 in chips...updates to follow.

Posted a winning night...man, i gotta quit my bitching...but that just shows how close tonight was from being a huge night...starting to feel better about my play, and the streak of nasty ones was pretty epic. I am still in the MTT:

$22 MTT
First Break: 6378

July 29, 2006

Ok, I didnt play much last night, just 4 sngs and lost 70. I met up with my students and i learned a little about what they do...quite intriguing. I might give it a try at some point in the near future...the similarities to poker is astounding!

Last night, i played pretty well. took a 2nd and bubbled in one. I also took a few bad beats on one table...lost AK to A8 when he rivered a gutshot. Then I built my stack back and lost KK to 66 on a rivered gutshot again. that was tough...but i showed them a proper game.

My first 2 sets were ok...lost vig. got pretty unlucky too, i feel i am playing well, but the results arent showing it because of a few bad beats...yeah, i know, deal with it.

I am about to fire up my first set of the day...I have some work to do!

I am just getting horrible luck. Ive lost to 3 gut shot rivered straights when I was a strong favorite. Still taking brutal beats...i think it started out as bad play, but now i have it back in line, but my hands never hold up...so im still playing. Hopefully it will turn around.

just crazy...had my A10 lose to K9 when he called my push and i caught an ace but he rivered 2 pair...holy hell the river is killing me tonight.

I stopped the bleeding. I got a few firsts and brought my losses back down to a manageable level. Frustrating doesnt begin to explain it. Just epic bad beats, but i digress...i cant wait until this turns around!

July 28,2006

I met with the day traders today. Sounds very interesting...maybe something i could parlay my poker earnings into.

I played one set for them and got a 2nd...took a few bad beats too. I think I showed them a solid game, so i am really hoping for their success...thats why i am heading back on monday. plus, that day trading stuff is fascinating.

I might try to get another set in, but i am looking to log hours tomorrow! I dropped 70 bucks...just not up to playing right now. gonna get some rest and play at least 4 sets tomorrow.

July 27, 2006

There are some problems with the blogger website, so i couldnt update last night. had a horrible night and got smoked. Started out that my hands werent holding up...then I ended up playing pretty poorly...so it was a bad night overall...my roi for the month is still respectable 15%...so these are more just corrections than anything, but it surely sucks when you are going through them...plus it was a bigger correction than necessary cuz i donked my money away! on a positive note, i believe i played more than 20 sngs last night...

Tonight, I start my challenge to play 300 sngs this month. If I get a new monitor and set up to 6 and 8 table, then my goal will be higher. However, this goal is more than 2 hours of play per day, so it is pretty aggressive for me considering i work my full time job. My birthday is coming up next month on the 28th, so thats why i am starting my challenge today. I will either be celebrating that I met an ambitious goal and am well on my way to building my bankroll and one step closer to hitting my $10k bankroll goal. I am hoping to be up $3,000 if I meet my 300 sng goal...time to start playing.

So far, 9 sngs played and up $155. i got disconnected heads up after i took the chip lead...took a good 2 minutes to get reconnected and still had the lead...ended up taking him down. solid first 2 sets, gonna play another and if i win, i am gonna fire up a few monster sngs and try to start qualifying.

The first two sets were saved by first place finishes. I ended up having a last set of 5 because i busted early in one. So ended up netting about 125 on the last set. So, that means tomorrow i can play a few monster sngs. I am gonna hit the sack. There are much stronger players playing late, so the key is to get your sets in early, then quit late...unless you are on fire, but i would pull back the number of tables.

Results Day 1:

Played 14 sngs. +280 (3/2/0/9)

July 26, 2006

I am messing around tonight...playing some monster qualifiers on Party. Just looking to get a few wins so i can play in the first couple freerolls...should be fun...I have a long time to go until they start...mid august. I might just 4 table a few 6s and see what happens.

So far tonight...6 sngs (played a few 11 monster qualifiers, but those done really count), and am up a net of 30 bucks...so up for the night. I am going to play another set and hope to win something and call it a night.

July 25, 2006

there is a reason i am making my 25th post on the 26th. first off, i was playing at the end of my night. after work i met up with 3 guys and am going to start teaching them poker. the great thing is, they are day traders and one of them is the owner of the small office. They have 6 work stations with 2 monitors...something I have been dying to get my hands on. So, they invited me to meet with them, maybe learn a little about what they do, and I can play 6-8 tables on their network to cut my teeth before buying my own set up.

I have been doing a lot of thinking and have decided to set up a pretty ambitious goal for myself. There is a lot of significance to this goal and I will break it down. for the rest of July, about 5 days, I hope to be able to average over 12 sngs a day. That is 3 sets a day. However, come august, depending on how many days a week I meet with the guys and play up there and when I get my multi monitor set up, my ambitious goal will be to play 500 sngs. After my correction last night of -335, most of which was preventable because i played poorly, my monthly return is sitting at 25% and overall 2 month return is about 18%. I would like to keep my ROI in the upper teens, or >17.5% while on the $55s. I believe I can keep it over 18%. For planning purposes, I chose to assume a 15% return. If i can hit my volume and return goals, that will equate to 4775 profit. WOW! that will be my biggest month by far, but this will require more mental stamina than I have ever previously given. I have played 300 sngs in a month before...and I believe it will take me LESS time to do my 500 if I 4 table at a minimum. I just cant wait to add 2 more tables...6 tabling is my goal for August...getting proficient at it. So, there are my ambitious goals...gonna acclimate to 6 tables, hopefully 8 very soon, and playing 500 sngs...I will not even care all that much if my ROI drops to 12%...The real object of this goal is two fold.

First, it really is to see how i respond to pushing myself with a higher volume of play and more tables. Mentally, it can be taxing. The swings can be brutal. I want to see how I hold up and if i can do it long term...

Second, it is to really boost my bankroll. A month like I am planning for august will be an average month for me if i can acheive my goals...if i get there, i plan on making that my goal every month. but you have to start somewhere. If i can accomplish this, it will double my bankroll and get me to a point where i can start taking $$ out...it will put me near the 10k mark and allow me to take out 2000+ at the end of september if i can do this 2 months in a row...the money might finally start to flow for me...I am excited, nervous, and cant wait to see what happens.

July 24, 2006

I am inspired today! I am just fully internalizing what making the jump from 4 to 8 tables is. It really is a big moment because you go from merely making a great return to making a hell of a lot of money! Being able to 8+table is the real test of being able to do this as a profession. You can make plenty averaging less than 2 hours a night...I finally feel like i have all this stuff internalized, and i am ready to crank out sngs like they never have been before. I truly believe I am a winning poker player at sngs and believe I have an excellent ROI. I believe and have proven to be able to do this while 4-tabling...so I am going to try to 8-table them. I will start by 6 tabling and getting a feel for that...then 8-tabling...this should get interesting.

About to start up a set of 4, i will be 4-tabling until i get a new monitor.

First set finished up...not bad, +$80, but i had 3 3rds and a 4th...so close to a huge set...yet, so fricken far! Played well, these guys just bet right into you...there is no reason to show strength any time, just let them do it themselves. They just bet into the nuts...raise when your hand feels vulnerable to you, otherwise just call.

Just got set 2 started. Pretty solid set...I donked one off early, but finished strong in the other 3. Got a first and a second to net 180 for the set...yeehaawwww! The key is getting that third set in...is he gonna do it???

It was raining with lightning and thunder, so I didnt fire up my last set...an excuse, possibly, but i really did want to play more. Every day I get more encouraged.

Results:

Set 1: +$80 (0/0/3/1) and that OOTM finish was a bubble
Set 2: +$180 (1/1/0/2)

July 23, 2006

Only logged 5 sngs last night. I got a bit sidetracked this weekend...i still hope to get some good sessions in today. Weekends are different for me. Because I play during the week, I come home after a pretty consistent day. Wake up, work, come home, relax, and play. Weekends really bust up my routine and sometimes I dont feel mentally ready to play. However, starting this week, no more distractions and no more fuckin around. I will play my biweekly tourney every sunday and thats it...then i will be grinding the sgns...NO MORE EXCUSES!

Getting my first set going right now.

Just finished up my first set. Didnt play too well early, but started to get more aggressive and picked up some momentum. I won one and was heads up with only 2200 chips in the other...i decided to try to play for first and took the chip lead at one point...but I ended up with a 2nd. Overall, not bad. I needed to focus more early...play a little tighter. I loosened up a bit and it made me play a little faster on all 4...that isnt a good thing for me usually. Gonna eat and fire up another set.

Set 2 is done...busted out of one on a bad move...but otherwise, not too bad. Got 2 3rds to lose vig on the set.

Set 3 was solid. Played well from start to finish. Got very short stacked (<800 chips to a bad beat) and came back to win it. Starting to get in my groove...time to start hammering out tables.

Results:

Set 1: +$180 (1/1/0/2)
Set 2: -$20 (0/0/2/2)
Set 3: +$130 (1/0/1/2)

I am +$290 and feeling good, but there is lightning outside and we lose power pretty regularly when it storms out here...pretty annoying. So, i might just relax for a bit to see if it blows over. I would hate to be in the middle of a set and lose power.

Had to add a little note here. On my 3rd set, we were ITM and the 2nd and 3rd stacks went at it...the 2nd big stack hit a Royal Flush against the 3rd stack. He and I were chatting and celebrating his feat when I eliminated him and took it down. Just thought it was funny that before he could finish revelling in his feat, he was done and didnt even win the sng where he got his royal flush...I was happy to be the spoiler!

July 22, 2006

Well, trying to recover from last night. Not a great night for me...but i think sitting down already being at a 1:3 chip disadvantage really hurt me psychologically. I didnt sit down in pushbot mode, i sat down in deep stack mode and passed up on early coin flips when I should have taken them. I will not play in tourneys where they allow people extra chips...unless I can get the extra chips.

I just played a set of 5. I busted out early in level 2 and fired up a new one...nope, i didnt 5-table. I played pretty pooly...got bad cards and played my hands pretty weakly. The action is so loose and the raises so out of line that it makes it pretty hard to not risk all your chips at a relatively early stage...if you dont push, they certainly will...so I am protecting my hands pretty aggressively preflop, then turning to a calling station post flop. I do play some hands aggressively, but I havent had much to play and havent been able to get into my groove...hopefully I will get some cards in my next set. I am gonna take a shower and relax a bit first...I dont think I am fully awake yet.

Results:
Set 1: -$25 (1/0/0/4)

July 21, 2006

Well, tonight I am hitting the casino with a guy from work. He and I talk poker a little bit and his game sounds pretty solid. So, we are hitting a small rebuy tourney tonight at 7...hopefully i can cash...if i get a decent cash, i might use that money to start my live roll because i dont plan on building one of those for a few months. next weekend i have my bi-weekly tourney, so I am fortunate to be logging some live play and doing well at it.

I hope to play a lot this weekend. Drawing inspiration from Curtains poker blog, link to the left, I want to start to add tables in the next few months. I know most of the people play speed sngs...adn in the future i will have to dabble in those, but right now, i am cool with the hour long regulars...but i think my game is ready for the speeds. When they first started on Party, i tried a few and i think they are just as profitable as the regulars...moreso due to increased # of sngs per hour...which is the key, so i might have to jump to those pretty soon.

Anyway, wish me luck at the tourney...will update when i get home.

That tourney is pretty tough...solid players, but more importantly, it just isnt worth it if you dont log some hours at the tables before. This was not a rebuy, but there was one add on at the break. I sat down with 2000 chips and other sat down around me with 6000. there was a 3000 add on for 20 bucks at the break. I had about 1400 chips at the break and rebought for about 4400 to start on level 4. I just kept getting bullied and didnt have much of anything. I stole some blinds when i pushed Q9 UTG. I figured if anyone had the table image to pull it off, it was definitely me. I pushed Q8s and got 3 callers...ran into AA and went home. Blinds were 500/1000 with 50 ante. I didnt have much choice and coulda more than quadrupled up if I caught.

I am gonna take the rest of the night off and relax...log some big tables tomorrow!! gonna shoot for a big number...if i run well, maybe try some speeds...That is gonna be important in the long run to increase my earn.

No More Casinos to play blackjack...Im done with that game. It makes me want to gamble...and I dont want to do that...i cant play both blackjack and poker in the same day...i cant switch gears that fast.