ugh

so i am playing a little and lost 2 hands with the better ace...lost 1010 to J9o...so just more of the same...i guess it never ends!

full tilt...just seems so rigged...i would never honestly believe it is because it is too big of a site and to care enough about the outcome of low level sngs is so silly, but statistically speaking, i just dont understand how much longer the variance can continue...

i know if you are a poker player, or even an enthusiast, you might be saying, quit complaining...and I agree. however, this is my sounding board for frustration...plus, i understand variance and statistics, but living it out in real life is another thing...one of the many challenges poker players face. As you can see, some deal with it better than others! :)

Thursday, THE END

For the time being, i am going to quit playing poker. Hit a nasty downswing...i know some is bad play, but just a horrible dose of variance. Poker is an impossible game if you cannot win a race and those are typically 50/50 propositions, but I lose 60/40 "races" lately about 75/25...As i type this, i lost a race for 85% of my stack, then got finished off AQs vs KJs...i didnt even look, just saw i was eliminated...so there are two more in a row...

Just to give a quick update on the final set of sngs i am playing...i have called 2 pushes and got in with the better ace, AK v A3 and A8 v A7 and split both times!! just lost A6 v 55, yet another race. I did just have A10 v A8 hold on the bubble to get ITM...but little consolation. I just lost 66 v AK, yet another race...so far, the only hand that has held up while blogging tonight is a 3:1 favorite...not gonna win much with that sort of luck!!

Poker is no fun when this happens...sure, thats an obvious statement. however, to be properly bankrolled, I need about 400-750 ...so I can deposit that in the future and start playing because it isnt a huge amount of money...but until then, i will take what is left of my bankroll and take my beautful fiance out for dinner...I will be out the money, but it will be well worth it! At least I wont feel like I flushed it down the toilet! We are going to have our second child at the end of April...So, Until I play again, which may be quite a while...peace out!

October 18, 2008

So far played 2 hands...got a dude all in on the turn with a 7 high flop and 8 on the turn...he had 79o and I had QQ. He rivered the 9. I also got a dude in when I hit broadway on the turn, but the river Ace counterfeited my broadway and we split. not a great start...lookin to log about 20 tonight!

not doing well...playing well and making nice moves, but just cant get hands to hold up. these games are super beatable and my cards arent cooperating!

just lost AK v AQ...been like that all night!!

this is getting soo sick...keep losing on the river...fucking BS!

every race on the bubble i lose...just sickening. total, complete BS!

Lee Watkinson just was playing a 36 and busted me on the rivered straight...so sick

just lost on the bubble with AK v j3o...hit the gut shot on the turn...

it has been suck a crappy night...i am definitely hanging it up for poker. i havent flushed my bankroll, but i just dont feel like i want to play anymore. when that happens, whats the point.

for the time being...peace out!

October 15, 2008 My Boy's Birthday

I haven't been playing much this week because my parents are in town and it is my son's birthday! Here is a pic of him at his party!

Found some time to play tonight. Just getting screwed. This taste of variance is lasting far longer than I would like. I have been getting really nasty beats nearing and on the bubble. then, when i do get in behind, usually a 40/60 spot, I cant get lucky. I am considering calling it a career unless I go on a heater before the night is over.

running a little better...have some nice streaks of cashing, but my hands arent holding up once ITM, so lots of 2nds and 3rds.

Well...ended the night on the same note i started it...just nastiness all around. Busted on bubble on a race, which i lost and then would have had the chip lead with blinds creeping up when my AJ lost to KQ. I have lost a ton of those 60/40 hands tonight in critical situations...if i dont go on a heater my next session...i am gonna wrap up poker for a while and cash out. It just isnt worth my frustration, but more importantly, I am not mentally ready and it isnt worth my time...

October 12, 2008

Totally card dead tonight...played ok, but just couldnt put anything together. Not sure how its gonna end up, but I did the best I could with the hands I was dealt...I am definitely gonna take a break until my parents leave...wasnt a lot of fun tonight.

October 8, 2008

Well, I have decided to take the day off. i have been spending so much time playing poker that I need to spend a little quality time with the family. My mom and dad are coming to town for my son's 1st birthday, so i wont be playing too much this week.

My plan now is to put my rakeback into my account and step up. I have experienced a nice little correction, so I think the variance is going to be turning back in my favor. So, I will be making the leap to the next buy in when I get started again. I should have just over 30 buy ins...so by most people's standards I will not be underbankrolled...I am excited because I am definitely a bang for the buck kinda guy, so stepping up and hopefully increasing my earn by 50% is attractive to me!

Stay tuned for updates...just not many this week. Taking tonight off and tomorrow I teach...then Friday my parents are in town.

October 7, 2008

I am far too loose playing Omaha H/L. I donked off more thank I want to admit...maybe 75 bucks or so...no more of that for a while, but remember that my tendencies are far too loose!

On to sngs...

October 6, 2008

Just about to get started here...wish me luck :)

Playing well, just card dead..

Playing well, just getting completely hosed on the bubble and ITM. runner runner style...if this continues i will quit...get in ahead and lose...either side of the race...stronger ace in and lose to runner runner...just tough luck tonight.

tough night...trying to stay positive...

getting hosed tonight...but only down a little...less than 200.

its weird...i had tons of big pairs starting after my first set...and cant seem to hold on...ironic...i almost pushed A6 on the button...sb pushed and bb called, i would have had the worst of it and won...just cant get it right tonight...get itm and get AJ only to run into AK...yet another cooler...but grinding away. my last sng is open...and ran into 1010 on the bubble.

So, amazingly crazy night...horrible luck and only down a few buy ins considering I couldnt win one to save my bankroll or get lucky. I won very few races...encouraging! I feel like tonight was horrible, but I had quite a few 2nds and 3rds...

October 5, 2008

Just finished up my first session of the weekend. I have quite a bit of work to do for the two classes I am teaching. I played for a solid 2 hours. Not quite sure how I did yet, but I had some nasty beats to bubble on 3 of the last 6 sngs I played...so it could have been a great session...but I am sure I am still up for it...I will upload my HHs and get the stats up shortly.

This is the kind of session I like...a few bad beats...a few suck outs...nothing too streaky, just steady progress. If poker was always like this, I would never quit playing!!

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Today's stats for far:

20 sngs
15.5% ROI
35% ITM (4 1sts, 2 2nds, 1 3rd. Another great distribution)

Getting late tonight and played some more. Kept about even...had some nasty beats on the bubble and ITM. If one hand would have held up that was sucked out on the session would have been a winning one for sure. I do not mind the break even sessions...they help bring the ROI back down to a more realistic range without the big downswing. I am thinking about firing up some more, the play is just so bad right now. I am noticing the other people multitabling the same buy ins are quite a bit looser than me. I get in good against them 75% of the time. I should fear no sng player at the buy ins I am playing. I think I should run over the next level as well.

I played 13 more sngs...so 33 on the day. I am optimistic about the number of sngs I am playing. Volume has always been my biggest challenge and I seem to have overcome that for the time being. I even took a nasty downswing when I started and kept powering through. Very encouraging.

My parents come to town on Friday afternoon, so I do not think I will be playing much for the week they are here. Maybe an hour or two here and there, but it would be rude to play while they are in town. So, I am shooting for Gold on Full Tilt and will go for Ironman next month.

As an aside...I have a dual monitor set up I need to get hooked up. I am very profitably 6-tabling, so I think I deserve a raise. I am going to start 8-tabling as soon as I can get a decent workstation set up. That means 33% more tables in the same amount of time...it's all about volume!!

October 3, 2008

So far playing great...the only 2 i busted out of was pair over pair and lost to runner runner straight. I was ahead on the flop on the other and lost again to runner runner straight. playing well...i feel good tonight.

just took down 2 straight and have 6 open.

Playing well...up about 4 buy ins and still going strong.

Very happy with my play thus far...lost 2 heads up matches where i was in ahead, but didnt hold on...looking good tonight!!

The key for me tonight is that i am not forcing things...i am not getting too antsy nearing the bubble...i am not pushing unless i am very, very short. Seems to be working and my patience is being paid of.

Let me clarify what very, very short is. Typically, I get antsy around 10 BB...but I am waiting if the blinds are 120/240. I am holding off until they reach 150/300 and waiting until i have about 4 BBs..

I hold off, tempted to push...get AA the next hand as a reward and get it cracked...playing very well...need to remember the patience...i think i often push too quickly...need to stay patient.

just lost a big one on the bubble with AQ v KJ to the rivered king...still alive though...

I am making big calls on the bubble with middle pairs, 77 & 88. Gone both ways...I guess its a better idea because when i win it, i am in a great position to win the sng...but if i lose and try limpin into the money you are pretty much playing for 3rd.

great night...up about 7 buy ins...

I currently sit at 37 buy ins for the next level. I prefer to have at least 50...so I am inching my way towards moving up!!

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Session stats

20 sngs (5 1sts, 2 2nds, 1 3rd - AWESOME distribution)
36.1% ROI
40% ITM

My ITM %age wasnt super high. I didnt feel like I was winning more than usual, but I knew I was taking 1st a good portion of the time. Very happy with the results!

SEPTEMBER IN REVIEW

I decided to make a conscious effort to play more in the mid part of september. I started to 6-table more and try to log more hours. I am teaching 1 night a week and trying to spend more time with my family, so its tough to make playing a priority unless it starts to pay the bills. So, while I build my roll I need to stay disciplined and really grind away to move up.

September broke down as follows:

239 sngs
8.1%ROI
36.8% ITM

I finished the month on a down note, but still finished respectable. I built a great base for my bankroll and have grown it substantially. As of today, I have more than doubled it since the early part of september.

OCTOBER GOALS

Goals for October:

400 sngs
10% ROI
39% ITM

If I can attain the # of sngs and the ROI, I should be very generously bankrolled to move up in buy ins next month. I should have about 70 buy ins for the next level, which is more than double what many people recommend.

October 1, 2008

So far I have gone to showdown twice. Once with QQ and lost to the rivered flush. the 2nd hand i lost to the rivered straight. time for some hands to hold up!

Now, when i get hands i am getting coolered, but 3 3rds in a row...running into big hands itm. It is all going to come together for a nice run tonight...i can feel it!

Ive played about 10 sngs and havent sucked out once...maybe i am wrong about being a good night :)

Or i could be wrong...2 wins in a row...even with my AA getting cracked...Ive been breaking about even tonight...cashin and donkin off some...im gonna finish this set and call it a night.

Got QQ and ran into KK itm...once again coolered, but at least waited utnil i was itm.

lol, ran 99 into 1010 to take 3rd again. Playing great and getting to the bubble on all of my sngs in my last set...need to finish up in 1st in at least one!!

finished the set 2 and 3...strong finish. Wow, did better than i thought and won about 200...

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Great start to October. Here are the session stats:

23 sngs
8 - 3rdx (horrible finish distribution, but ran into some strong hands with my own PPs ITM!)
4 - 2nds
2 - 1sts

14 cashes in 23 sngs, pretty darn good. I just wish my finish distribution had more 1sts.

Overall, my October stats are:

36sngs
26% ROI
52.8% ITM

Obviously not sustainable, but I like to start on the positive and trend down to where I belong.

September 29, 2008

I didnt play much poker yesterday. I played in a freeroll and won $75. I was getting tilted and pushed hoping for a coinflip, but ended up getting in with an underpair and busted. That's ok though...

My roll is steadily growing. i need to log some hours in october...it would be nice to start to acheive some of the bonuses the sites offer and i just miss making any of them due to not playing quite enough. If i could just play an extra 2-3 hours per week I think I could get there. Most of my play is logged in 2-3 hour increments at night. I play very little during the weekend. I think if I could log at least one session per night, then at least 3 on weekends that I would be just fine.

anyway, not sure if i will get any in tonight...

started up 6-tabling. not much going my way tonight...i hope it changes. playing pretty well. not too much in terms of cards. i hope my luck turns.

Struggling to get any hadn to hold up...getting in better aces and losing...just tough. Fired up a $33+3 by accident...hope to take it down...maybe play a few more tonight.

Truly horrible run of cards...its gotta turn at some point...i just need to keep my head. I am continuing to play well and am in the money on one...still alive in my 36 and gonna take a break and fire up some more.

keep losing the big ones...lost KK to AK when he hit the ace on the turn...playing well with no reward..dropping buy ins!!

well, down about 200...horrible night for suckouts...i cant count the number i lost on the river in critical situations. I was running over tables and getting runner runnered regularly. lost to 3 outters twice heads up...lost to 2 outters twice on teh bubble...infuriating especially when you are working on building the roll...but, i played well and kept my head...One thing that really confuses me is how many people just do not understand bubble play. in the hand where i lost to a 2 outter, i had about 5k in chips, BB had 4500, and the other two were very short. blinds were 200/400 and i was on the button. I potted it for 1400, sb folds and bb calls. I have A2o and the flop comes AK8. He pushes...i called and he shows K9o. I turn the 2 and he rivers the king. stupidity is really paying off tonight.

These sorts of night must be expected. it just doesnt seem right, but they happen...and too often for my liking...but its part of the game and you have to learn to deal with the downs as well as the ups...that is the hardest part about poker. I need to keep it in perspective. i watched some guys drop hundreds of thousands of dollars on one hand and they keep at it...its part of the game from the beginner to the most experienced players and if you want to play poker well, you need to learn to deal with variance. today was a big dose of it and I handled it....well, just ok. my play was solid, but i did get frustrated.

September 27, 2008

Playing great...ok results...about break even. getting roughed up heads up...lost KK to A8 on the river ace, then lost QQ to 96 when he turned the straight...been getting in good, so i am happy. once the cards turn back my way i should have a nice upswing...just being patient and trying to play my A game.

As I was writing this, I lost to runner, runner flush...so it continues. I am going to finish my set, relax and grab a beer, and fire up 4 more. I finished the last sng of the set and took it down. amazingly I am up for the night about 3 buy ins. I am very pleased with my play and the results. including rakeback, my roll is up to over 42 buy ins. Quite a run I am on considering I had my whole bankroll on the table at the beginning of the month.

September 24, 2008

The night started rough...hands werent holding up. however, i kept playing and my luck turned. My hands were holding up and i was sucking out like a champ. In one sng i got it all in with 88 up against JJ and i flopped quads...he hit the jack on the river...so I needed every bit of it. Later in that sng, on the bubble i got it in with 55 v 99 and spiked the 5 on the river. I ended up taking a nasty beat ITM, but that was owed to me...but I took it down. I ended up on a great streak...but need to turn in or I would continue playing. I need to keep playing when I am on a hot streak and shut it down when i run cold...i know it really doesnt matter over the long term, but i guess you are making better decisions when you are winning (most likely).

Anyway, out for the night...teaching tomorrow so no poker...will be a nice day off!

September 23, 2008

Played quite a few tonight and won a little. I am playing well...but my big hands are not holding up lately...once they start to I think I will make a nice run. Been playing well, but my ROI has dropped to a more reasonable level..10%. I need to get my volume up.

September 22, 2008

Playing well but definitely coolered tonight...running into decent hands at critical times and not getting lucky. Lots of bad players getting lucky tonight...still doing ok. had a nasty bubble and am playing pretty well...just need the cards to fall.

Well, rough night. i thought i played relatively well. Races didnt ever go my way and ended losing quite a few hands where i was dominating. Couple that with my big hands getting cracked and there isnt much you can do.

September 21, 2008

I played quite a bit over the weekend. Had a good session on Saturday night, though I lost about $175. I did play a lot of sngs and then had a nice 5 sng session tonight and won back most of what I lost. Bubbled and came in 3rd on sngs that I should have done better in, but still managed to make a little money.

Things sure have been busy lately with work and teaching. I am not sure how many sngs I will be able to play, but I am going to do my best. We are trying to put together a decent workstation at home, but time and space is at a premium. Hopefully in a few weeks things will start to fall into place.

Other than that, nothing too exciting to report...still playing.

September 16, 2008

I havent had a chance to play very much lately. Last night I was not in the mood to play for anything significant, but I burned some FPPs on Poker Stars and qualified for their Million Dollar freeroll at the end of the month. That should be fun. Plus, I almost won another seat, but found out that you lose it if you already have one, so I busted out of the tourney 1 place before the seat was given away and got 1000FPPs, so i pretty much qualified for free.

I hope to log some hours tonight, but I need to head out and run when I get home. I also start teaching on Thursday, so I will be pretty busy this week preparing as I also have a directed study student under my watch...might not get a chance to play much this month.

September 13, 2008

I fired up a set today and had it going early. I got to the bubble in 3 of the 4 sngs i played, but I ran into some tough beats with good hands. I took 1 3rd which was very disappointing, but i knew i was playing well and fired up another set. I played well again and this time the variance was coming my way...a few hands of note...

Blinds were creeping and the 2nd stack was on my left. I was 3rd and i limped A9s from the SB hoping he would make a move, i would push and get 900 chips from him...it happened just as I expected, but he tabled AK and i was nervous. I spiked the 9 on the turn and flushed it on the river. shortly after this hand, on another table I was in A2 v AK and I hit a deuce to take that hand down as well. So, in my last set i took 1, 9, 1, 1. I like that!!

September 12, 2008

I didnt play last night, but I did on the 10th. Played 11 sngs and won just over 4 buy ins...

I am feeling very confident about my starting hand selection early, on the bubble, and ITM. My finish distribution has been excellent with a lot of 1sts. I take 1st more than any other place, which is great. I am coming around and now need to start to log a significant number of sngs. I am easily able to play 12 sngs on any session, so my goal is to reach 300 in a month. that is pretty ambitious considering the load I have on my shoulders and the obligations I have for my time, but I think it is doable. We are looking to set up a home office, which will allow me to add a second monitor and therefore play 6-8 tables more easily. that will make my goal of 300 very attainable and then I can shoot for 400.

My bankroll started at $600 and I lost half of it. Then, I was slowly losing down to about $250. At one point, I had my entire bankroll in play. Now, I am back up to over $600 and looking to make a push for $1000. That will give me over 40 buy ins and the confidence I need to not worry about my risk of ruin. Once over $1200 I feel like I will never have to even consider stepping back down to the $12.

I think the major difference between my game now and the one I was playing a month ago is that I am being more aggressive nearing and on the bubble. I will reraise/push to late position raisers. That is a huge move because it will often add a very substantial amount of chips and you never go to showdown. The second adjustment I made is that I am being more aggressive as the blinds creep up in proportion to my stack. I had gotten lucky a few times pushing marginal hands when I have say, $1000 chips and blinds are 60/120. I will push now in middle to late position and when I get lucky it provides me enough chips to play out the rest of the sng without the urgency and need to push and double again. Both of these adjustments have turned september into a very nice month for me and I look to continue my success and log more tables.

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Played a set of 4 tonight making it to the bubble in each. I took 2, 2, 3, 4. I played awesome. A little loose early and pulled it in. Picked up big hands, many didnt hold up, but played very patient and should have moneyed in all 4. I called a lot of pushes on the bubble and was in ahead every single time. The bubbles were brutal tonight with the shortstack doubling though the big stack several times on a few tables, which means there is a new shortstack, but nothing so short it is only a matter of time before they bust. I got very unlucky on both sides of the race many times to bust people...but feel fortunate to be up a solid amount. I am almost at the 30 buy in threshold which many people use to say that is the number of buy ins necessary to reduce your risk of ruin...I like to be closer to 50 because i do not like to drop down buy ins to win money half as fast as you lost it.

I am excited because i am starting to put together many consecutive winning days like i used to...

anyway, my roll is growing and so is my confidence...not sure if i will fire up another set tonight...but looking to log a lot of tables this weekend. the play on full tilt is just sickeningly bad and i need to play more. i thought/heard the earn on sngs is tough these days, but i am finding them amazingly loose and crazy. hope it continues...

September 9, 2008

As it has always been with me and poker, things are progressing slowly. I am struggling to find the time to play and the short sessions have been very up and down. I am looking to start to make a push for some clarity about the poker situation. I know I am profitable at sngs. My goal is to grind the $22+2s on FT and I have a few hundred in right now. I am going to either flush my entire roll or start building...Let's see where my roll goes!

August 22, 2008

Back to hating poker. it is streaks like these that just get me so frustrated. I played a set and didnt have great results, but played well and in all 4 i lost to a pretty nasty beat. I thought since I was playing well that i would fire up another set because i was in a good frame of mind. more amazing beats after another. I cant tell you how many times I lost to runner runner or the spiked ace on the river. It was really uncanny. So, I am going to play in the freeroll this week and next, but if i dont make any cash from the freerolls i am cashing out and saying FU to poker for a while.

August 21, 2008

Rough start...played one set and had my KK cracked by QQ on the river and just lost my set of Queens to the rivered 4 outter...i guess that isnt bad but it sure sucked.

broke about even in 11 sngs. kinda nasty, but played ok.

played another set...2 $12s and 2 $24s. Just nasty runner runner beats tonight..playing well so need to not obsess, but its getting frustrating.

amazing, just lost a bubble race where i got the better ace in and he pulls runner runner straight...its so bad!

August 15, 2008

I took last night off and watched a movie with Penny...had a nice and relaxing night.

Tonight, I fired up a set of 6 on Full tilt and took 1, 2, 2, 5, 5, 6. Not bad at all and starting to feel more comfortable and in control at the tables. Again, with solid results it is easy to feel that way, so i want to continue to play consistently and not worry about results. The real test will be when variance turns against me and I need to keep my cool and just grind!

Being away from FT for a while and playing on stars, my rakeback account went negative somehow. I am almost out of the hole and will start making some money as well as become eligible for the freerolls. That will definitely help boost my bankroll. I am getting excited at the thought of making some decent cash again playing poker.

On a side note, my boy turned 10 months today. Thought I would throw a pic of my family in here.

August 13, 2008

Played a quick set of 4 and finished 5, 6, 3, 3. Did not get a lot of cards, but was patient and managed to money in 2. No suck outs and no bad beats tonight...just standard stuff.

Just finished up a 2nd set of 4 and had finishes of 3, 4, 3, 3. So I had 5 money finishes in 8 sngs...ALL 3rd!! Terrible finish distribution, but i guess I will take 5 of 8 3rds every single day.

I will need to rethink my ITM play as I know I am just running poorly once i get there, but I also think I could tighten up a bit. I was really pushing my weak aces and just getting drawn out on. Overall, I feel like I am back into the swing of STT play and need to work on my finishes!

August 12, 2008

Fired up 4 sngs. let's see how I fare. I was doing a little reading on 2+2 and plan on doing some more in the coming weeks.

So far I have a 2, 3, 6 and still in another. Played well so far and sitting in a very competitive final sng. hoping to cash to make it a very profitable sng. This last sng had very solid players...too much limping from them early on and no one reraising to make them pay, but we had all 9 until blinds hit 100/200.

Finished my set 2, 3, 6, 2. Not too bad, but had a chance to win the last one. Played very well and found myself wanting sooo badly to play more aggressively. i found that once I was able to control that urge I found the hands I needed when I still had a good enough stack a double up was meaningful. Gotta resist that urge to limp small pairs and even AJs UTG. When I find myself doing that, I lose a BB or two here and there and end up having to get aggressive and take chances earlier than I want to with marginal hands. Finally starting to get the feel back for these sngs...of course, 3 cashes in 4 will make you feel like you know what you are doing...I still need to look at it as though I should be disappointed I didnt take at least one first. Anyway, solid start...feels good to be back!

Quick note...I started out on FT with no $$ but only FTP points. I have turned that into about $576. I am sitting with approximately 48 buy ins. I am very tight with my bankroll, so I will move up to the 22+2s when I have about 45 buy ins.

August 11, 2008

I am surprised by the number of people that have visited my site. I started this to just track my own performance and to make myself accountable. It has been fun, but I have had significant breaks in my play. Poker is fun, but it can really be a grind. I know in the past as I have tried to increase my play it has caused me to burn out relatively quickly. I have never taken a break to flushing my bankroll, however. I have always found a way to be profitable and now i am going to try to find a way to balance poker, a full time job, and a family.

I didn't play any cash games this weekend, but played in the midnight madness tourney on full tilt. I cashed, made about $3. Long day for such a small payout, but I played relatively well. Did not get many hands to play and the ones that I did held up. The more I think about it, the more I think I will not have time to play poker...especially if 2.25 hours of poker nets $3! However, if I can continue to build my bankroll I think positive cash flows will force me to create time. I might have to go back to grinding sngs...I just dont know yet. i think some study time and a few trips to 2+2 will help out with my transition.

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Played cash for about an hour today. I decided to jump into a $24+2 7-card stud hi limit tourney. I havent played stud since I accidentally joined a tourney when I first started playing online poker a few years ago, but I final tabled that tourney. I played a bit poorly early on this tourney donking off half my chips, but just after the first break i was in the top 15. Started with about 120 people and we have about 59 left right now. So, no where near the money. I need to stay disciplined and just play my solid hands. It is fun playing 7-card stud and i am sure there is a lot more equity in these tourneys...anyway, for now its a fun change of pace. Let's see how i fare...

In the second level I played about 2 hands. I got the nut flush draw after 4 cards which hurt my stack a little, but i hit aces up and almost doubled an orbit later...right now, we are 20 mins before the break and i am in about 20th place out of 45. I know I am not the best 7-card stud player...i need to learn a little bit more about starting hands...i am a bit tight, but it seems to serve me well as my natural tendencies seem to do well at stud.

15 mins prior to break, i get dealt 99 10. I call the bring in and 4 of us get another card. I catch a 9 and repop the raise. in hindsight, i should have just called to reraise when the bets increased, but thats just me and my inexperience. I got called down to the river and didnt quite double, but it put me in the top 8 stacks...looking solid going into the 2nd break. 10 mins before the break, the chipleader who has twice the 2nd stack got moved immediately to my right. I lost a big hand on the last hand before break...my 2pr lost to a better 2 pr...need to do some work as I now sit 15th out of 26. If i would have hit my straight, i would have been sitting nicely in 3rd place...had a nice hand, 2pr and an OESD.

Played well, but busted 22nd...all i needed was to hit a 2nd pair...had queens and couldnt improve. lost to aces...solid effort, was fun.

I played a few sngs tonight as well. They are super juicy. I might have to start playing these again...

August 8, 2008

I played a little bit more last night. I believe I made a few bucks...about $15 over the past two nights. I need to get with the poker software to see what my win rate is in terms of BB/100. I realize with the amount of patience I have I will never be satisfied with a reasonable win rate, but as my stakes climb I will be able to pull back on my aggressiveness.

These low stakes are great for learning to feel what the game is like when you are very well bankrolled. You really dont care about losing 25 bucks, but losing a buy in makes me frustrated. the money isnt what makes me frustrated, but it is losing the unit. You do not play scared poker and end up learnign a lot about your game. i was a bit too timid when I was playing before. I think I hit a major heater and built my bankroll, but when I started to come back down to earth I couldnt stomach it.

My bankroll is over $600, but $40 is tied up in tourney $$s, so i will be trying to play a few MTTs here in the next few weeks. Updates to follow as i get more stats and sessions in.

August 7, 2008

I saw my last post and remember making it. I used my Full tilt points and my FPPs at poker stars and generated a good 1400 in cash. I never realized how valuable those points could be.

I have about $600 in my full tilt account and i am going to start playing .10/.25 to see if I can build a bankroll. I want to slowly build and if I find some success I want to start to subscribe to some decent websites for help. I am considering poker x-factor once I am properly bankrolled for .50/1, which will be about $3000...however, if my learning curve at the lower stakes accelerates, then i think i might hold off...At this point, it is all just a guess, but I am hoping to get back to where I can make $1-2k a month. That would allow me to go back to school and get my PhD, which is my 2 year goal...to be accepted into a program.

I played a little last night and was up 2 buy ins at one point but ended up about $5 or a quarter of a buy in. It was fun.

Right now, there is not a lot of time to devote to poker because I am teaching, have my son, my job, and penelope...all needing attention. I am going to have to balance everything. However, i really do hope i can make poker a high enough priority to start building a solid bankroll. Let's see if I can continue this poker ride that started a few years ago and still has my interest enough to be posting here today.

May 26, 2008

Took a break from poker, but the WSOP has me wanting to play. I am using my FTP and FPPs to see if I can start a bankroll. I took 173 FPPs and made it into over $230 over the weekend. Took a long shot and played the 40FPP rebuy where about 270 started and you had to get in the top 9 to qualify. I was in 6th when we broke for the final table. Then, I played another, this time a 400FPP and made the final table as well to get another 4000FPP. Then, i bought into a sng satellite and won an entry into the $215 buy in Sunday Million. I took some of that cash and played some $6.50 sngs. i took a 1st, 3rd, and 5th. I might want to start grinding hard!!!

This is a true freeroll if I get anything started from my 173 FPPs on pokerstars. It will be fun to document if I can grow it to anything substantial.

I have quite a few points on Full Tilt too. I am going to use them to try to satellite into their bigger buy in tourneys.

March 17, 2008

I know I just changed gears from poker to sportsbetting, so I think it would be appropriate to outline my strategy.

I am going to be betting money lines and parlaying them together to add value. My goal is ambitious for investors, but kinda modest when you start talking in terms of poker and gambling. My goal is to return 10% per month. I am starting with $83. Yes, a strange starting bankroll, but I dont want to get into why it is such a weird amount. If I can prove to handle the ups and downs and continue to trend upwards, I will add a few hundred periodically to boost my roll. I think a big bet will be approx one third of my bankroll and I do not want to bet more than that. If i lose a bet of 1/3 my bankroll, I will readjust my bet size so I am always betting 1/3 and therefore reducing my risk of ruin.

A 10% per month goal is pretty ambitious and I like to beat every goal that is given to me, but I am going to try to use this goal as a measuring stick to keep myself on track. No need to break the bank every day and if I can stay on target I will set myself up for a very nice return. Something where you can retire within a few years. So the power is there, now it is time to execute the plan.

I am looking at the games tomorrow and only see one worth considering. I like the Jazz. Toronto is playing late in Sacramento and then flies in to Utah to take on the Jazz. The Jazz have the night off and should be well rested. The Raptors are a stronger team than I would normally like to bet against, but they are without Chris Bosh and are playing the last game of a 5 game road trip. I just dont see Toronto playing well the 2nd game of back-to-back road games. The Jazz proved just how hard that can be by beating Boston on the road, then losing to the Nets the following night. I like the Jazz and believe I can get some solid value from a small bet here. After a nice win tonight, I do not need to make any bets until thursday when the NCAA tournament gives me a ton of great opportunities to parlay some huge money lines...but i think this play is strong enough to warrant a small $5 bet. With my roll being so modest, I only need to make about 25 cents this early on to make my goal for the day.

When I wake up and check the lines, I will make my bet and post the ticket.

Oh, and I forgot about the women's NCAA tourney...this could be a really profitable month, or could bust me...no many upsets in the women's game...so the 1 seeds are pretty much guaranteed to get to the sweet 16.

This morning I got a bit ahead of myself. I saw all sorts of tennis bets, but you cannot parlay them. I guess thats ok because the money line yields a nice 8%, so I made a few $5 bets. I believe a few of them will come in before the Jazz game tips off, so I can always bumps my bet on the jazz. I will copy and paste my picks in here after I get home from work.

I know this is a great time of year to bet money lines with the NCAA Tourney, NIT, and the women's tourney too. I also like that there is tennis going on. I need to figure out what sports are being played and what times of the year so I can figure out where I need to be each month. I know college football will yield some opportunities, I just dont know how profitable they will be.

Change...

Ok, poker is going to take a backseat. I just dont have the time or desire to play right now. It helped me pay off all my debt so I am grateful for it, but I am going to make a small deposit into a sportsbook and track my progress here.

My plan is to grind out a small %age every month. I am going to post my picks here, my wager and return. I wasnt able to fund my account yesterday, but I had a nice bet that would have come in. a 3 team money line parlay which would have yielded me about 36%. That would have been a great way to start my project. I figure if I havef success I can deposit more cash.

Today, I am going to try to get some cash into my account and i will be taking the moneyline on the dallas mavericks and the denver nuggets. I like the western conference contenders right now because they are playing for the playoffs and the teams that are out of the picture dont really care anymore. If anything, they are packing it in because they are positioning themselves for the lottery.

tonight i think I will parlay the two teams and bet another unit on the mavericks money line as well.

AFter much runnign around, i deposited 69 bucks into an account and got a 21% bonus. So, i bet it all tonight on a 2 teamer...i bet 1/3 of my account on a 2 teamer and the 2/3 on dallas's money line..here are how the bets shake out:

Wager Description Wager Amounts Result

Mar 16 4:53pm 2 Team Parlay - Pending 27.83 to win 1.71
1. Basketball - Dallas Mavericks - moneyline (-3400)
for the entire game held on Mar 16 at 5:05pm [pending]
2. Basketball - Denver Nuggets - moneyline (-3200)
for the entire game held on Mar 16 at 8:05pm [pending]

Mar 16 4:54pm Basketball - Pending 55.66 to win 1.64
1. Basketball - Dallas Mavericks - moneyline (-3400)
for the entire game held on Mar 16 at 5:05pm [pending]

Both my picks came in. My return for today is 4.01%. Not quite the return I was looking for, but I would have added Federer in tennis and bumped up my return a bit. Over the past few days, I have made 2 other bets that I was not able to make because I couldnt fund my account. I would have a nice return on those as well. I normally would not have bet my entire account today, but I was a little frustrated that I wasnt able to make those bets the other night and I was so confident in the games tonight. I could have parlayed them both for my whole account, and probably should have, but i felt that it was a bit too much.

Come tourney time on thrusday, I will probably do a 4 teamer for about half my bankroll with all the number 1 seeds. then i will probably do an 8 teamer with all the #1 and #2 seeds and i will see how that pays...and then bet accordingly. this will be fun.

March 8, 2008

I guess I am finally realizing that there is no room for poker right now. I made some good money playing and it helped me pay off my credit card debt, which now stands at ZERO!! I took some of my bankroll out, paid off my credit card, and lost the little bit that i had left. I have some FPPs on poker stars, but once those are gone I will not be playing poker any time soon.

I just am not cut out for the frustration. Today i played in the freerolls and played well. I was patient and chipped up to 2000 when I get AA, i raise 3xbb to 300 and dude pushes in late position...i call and he shows 77...he rivered the 7 and i was out. shortly after that in the 20k freeroll i get K9 on the button...i catch a K66 flop and bet half the pot...one caller, the BB and i knew he was on a draw...turn was a blank and i raised, he pushed i called and he tables 78d for the flush draw...of course he hits it on the river. later, he catches KK when I have JJ and i am out...so sick!

and, to top it off, i played in the 50k qualifier and i have A8 in the BB. 882 flopped and i bet half the pot and one caller, turn comes a 5, i bet and he calls...river was a blank and we get it all in and he turns over 85...thats the bullshit that drives me up the wall. i am gonna be playing some qualifers with my FPPs, but i am done with poker for a while...luck just not running my way.

February 24, 2008

Got aces and reraised a guy. He called a 40 preflop bet, flopped 3 hearts and called my push with the 10 of hearts and hit a flush...so sick! what a way to start my session.

Well, i had my straight lose to the rivered full house, so that isnt a good way to follow up a bad beat! I did win back quite a bit with a flush...

Lost top set to another flush...fuckin crazy

i flop 2 pair and dude pushes with flush draw, board pairs and he hits a pair on river to counterfeit my 2 pr. even the busted draws are sucking out on me!~

I get 10s and flop top set earlier and cant win, now i run into KK...I had KK on 2 tables and couldnt get action...i hate this game! :)

Right now i just need to remember to keep it cool and not push things...need to let the game come to me and over time I will get it ALL back!

got into a huge pot, my set of kings lost to a set of aces

yet another flush cracks my pocket pair.

man i ran into KK twice on back to back hands with AQ...fuckin unreal

i think I am drawing a little too much today...calling too loose and playing too many hands

QQ ran into AA AGAIN! just unreal bad luck tonight

on top of just bad luck, I am really playing poorly...i am forcing things...need to chill out!

I am more of a calling station...i know its not a positive thing to be called, but the style works for me. i shouldnt mess with it...i was trying to bully people and bet harder than i normally would...i need to play my own game!

February 24, 2008

Got aces and reraised a guy. He called a 40 preflop bet, flopped 3 hearts and called my push with the 10 of hearts and hit a flush...so sick! what a way to start my session

February 23, 2008

Today is the first freeroll I will be playing at Poker Stars. I will be playing in the $100k freeroll and it starts in about 45 mins. I will fire up a few cash tables to get into the swing of things and will just try to make a few bucks...even $50 would be good enough to quit for this session.

busted out of the 20k freeroll when my flopped trips lost to the turned gutshot! I just got involved in a 3 way pot with KK. I hit the king on the river to crack AA...good for about 330! up about 200.

I will be playing in the $100k freeroll and thats it for today. I am up nicely and just want to relax. I honestly did not play well today and even when I got it in with KK, I had a feeling someone had AA. I was in position, raised preflop to 7, got popped to 24, one caller and then me. i called and the flop came 10 high. 52 bet, I pushed for 100 total and there was another push behind and the original raiser folded. turn was a J and the river a K. dude showed AA...I had a feeling someone had AA, but I couldnt fold it. Great result, horrible play and great read by me. Weird how poker is like that...play poorly and get paid. I was definitely pushing things too hard trying to make things happen. I need to work on just relaxing and letting the game come to me. problem is that i get down a buy in or two, tighten up, and win it back and get up a hundred or two, then I quit. I should make my sessions longer and maximize the time I am in "The Zone.

100k is under way...updates to follow.

First break. I have 2345. Was down to about 1000 after getting mixed up with AK and having to lay it down to a push on the flop. I hit a big flush and doubled up later, so I am sitting ok at the break. I need to hit a hand coming out of the first break to do some damage...need to remind myself to be patient...I have plenty of time.

Second break. I have 6764 and the blinds are gonna cut through me for 1k in the first few hands. we get to the money with 40 more eliminations, so it will be fun to get aggressive after the bubble bursts. no really big hands, just solid tight play. The biggest hand was I did double up when I had QJ and limped when there was a player all in, we checked the flop and another person pushed the turn when a J hit. I called and he had A6 and I doubled...nothing exciting after that...a few blinds and antes, but thats it.

Im out...made 40 bucks. I pushed j9s and flopped a gutshot draw and missed.

So, a great night, even though I didnt play very much. I need to log some hours. Next month I think I will be logging hours and not really looking at results because I want to get to Platinum. If I make platinum, I should be close to getting the platinum bonus...so i might shoot for that!

anyway, roll at 2431.24.

February 22, 2008

Bad start to the night. I am playing too loose trying to make things happen. I need to pull back and relax and let the game come to me. missed on a few hands and got a little unlucky on a few, but no excuse it has mostly been due to bad play.

I did hit a huge hand and won a 3 way all in pot with the nut flush, but other than that nothing huge.

I am fighting my way back to even...if i get there i will quit for the night.

Wow, I did have a big AA hand get me up a bit, then a big QQ hand and a big call where i called with QQ on a rivered Ace...so when I checked my balance I was actually up a few bucks. Nights like tonight happen and help correct for the hot runs i had the past 7 days. I didnt lose tonight, but easily could have. I settled down and realized I was trying to make things happen too much instead of letting the game come to me. Lucky to have a winning night, but I did have a good amount of points built up tonight and some FPPs, so all good things.

I am gonna call it a night and go spend some time with my family.

ended tonight at 2200.54. So, I am up like 20 bucks...hey, thats another winning night!

February 21, 2008

Another excellent night. I played 5 tables for the most part. I had a flush take me down, but ended up winning a big hand with a flush myself. I really didnt have any huge hands, but here are two that are standing out in my mind and what i was thinking.

The first hand, I had 87c in the cut off. I raised to 6 and the button called. Flop came 10 high with one club. I put in a continuation bet of about 10 and the button called. the turn brought another club, so I put in another continuation bet of 22 hoping to take it down there. The river came an ace of clubs, I pushed and got a call. Dude was pretty mad, but i would have folded to any aggression on the flop.

The 2nd hand that got me up nicely was 88. I had been getting quite a few small pocket pairs and finally hit a nice one in a 4 way pot. Preflop I called the extra $5 from the SB. Flop came 4 A 8 rainbow. Original raiser bets $22, one fold, I call, one fold. Turn comes Q and I checked, original raiser checks behind. River comes 3 and no flush draw comes through and only 52 would beat me. I dont think AA or QQ would have played their hand this way. At this point the pot is $66 and I have 107.30 left. I thought that since this hand was played so strangely that if I overpush here and bet it all, it might look like a steal attempt. So I pushed and was instantly called and he mucked his hand. Turns out he had AJ.

Roll is at 2180.84, so up 160 in an hour tonight. If I 5-table and play about 90 mins a night on average, that should put me at platinum. If I make up some ground for January, I might even be able to get to supernova before the year is over...exciting times!

February 20, 2008

About to fire up a few tables. Just looking to log some time tonight...if I get up 100 quickly I am going to call it a night and relax.

Aces cracked by a dude that pushed with an OESD...got there on the river of course! that hand if it held up might have put me over 2k!

about 20 bucks shy of 2k...as soon as i get there i am shutting down for the night.

I was UTG and about to leave aND i get dealt AA and had to play it..

Up about 200 and OVER 2K!!!

Man, what a run I am on...won over 200 for 5 out of 6 days and was up over 200 the 6th day but played another session and lost 80. So, my roll is over 2k!!

I was telling Penny that I am now confident at the $1/$2 level that I am hugely profitable. I know, that isnt saying much, but as I 5-table, that equates to a pretty nice hourly rate. I dont have poker tracker, but I will invest in it soon. I need to figure out how many hands per hour I am logging and how many BB/100 I am winning. I put my hourly 5-table earn at about $50-$70 per hour, which I am really excited about. If you can take your cash under the radar, then we are talking a nice 70-100 per hour equivalent...which is a pretty sweet part time job!

I started to 6-table for a bit, but as people pop in and out of the tables, we got down to like 4 people on two of them. It got pretty hectic and I moved back to 5 tables. I no longer care when I play...whether it be right after work, later at night, weekends...whatever. I feel I can and will win whenever I sit down. When I read on 2+2 about players that want to learn and play better, I think they really have it all wrong and I will never go there to learn the game. You have to learn by playing and play 2 tables at a time so you can really watch the action. Then you can devise your own game that you play naturally that is profitable. You have to do what is natural and some people just are not natural card players...the games are soo loose and juicy that you dont need to maximize every single edge...I think I am very tight and leave a lot of money on the felt, but I also take quite a bit!

Anyway, feeling bulletproof and enjoying the ride from $103 refunded Poker Stars money to over $2021!!! FUCK YEAH!

February 19, 2008

I have run into so many flushes today its crazy. At least 5 of them. usually got away pretty cheaply, but cost me a good few hundred...running ok and cant get any action on my monsters...around even.

writing this as i play...i get a straight on the turn and another flush on the river...sick sick sick!!

Mother fucker...my KK just cracked by 89 suited with another fucking flush!

just lost to a rivered gutshot...crazy fuckin night

then i was in a huge 4 way pot with a flopped nut flush draw and cant hit it...woulda been about 300 bucks!

I had about 280 on one table and got KK and into a pot with a dude with 250 chips...deeper than I like to be...and the river ace scared me, but i ended up taking it down!

After one crazy night, i am up a good 200...holy hell i am not cut out for this game!!!

Ok, so i had a chance to decompress and chat with penny about my session. It was just crazy. I lost to soo many flushes and straights and came out with a nice session. Really gives me confidence because I clawed my way back and hit a few big hands while staying away from some pretty nasty situations. I mucked 1010 on an 8 hi board to a big bet, which turned out to be JJ. I really did play pretty well tonight and am feeling so comfortable at the tables. I see a lot of players and many of them are on most of my tables, but I am not worried about them anymore. My game is as good as any and I will not think otherwise. If they were that good, they would be playing 2/4 and 3/6 by now. My roll has grown from just over $100 to well over $1800 now. I am feeling great and have 5 straight winning days, 4 of which were over 200 and am up over 1050 over those days...might be a heater, but also might just be that my game is finally coming around. Let's see what happens!

February 18, 2008

I had another positive session. Was up to over 1700, but ended around 1612. If I would have quit and not played my last session, I would have had 4 straight days of $200+ wins. Still, up over 100 and feeling great! My weekend jinx is over and put together another solid day.

Still, I made a few bad calls, but overall my game is tightening up.

I started to 5 table a little bit, changed some settings on the tables and am feeling great...i think i might even add a 6th table this week...all great things!

February 17, 2008

I hit gold star today on Poker Stars. It is nice because now I will earn FPPs faster and can get myself the $285 bonus when I hit 25000 FPPs. I only have about 6600 of them, but after another month to 6 weeks I should be there. It all really depends on my results. Today, I started off nicely with 160 session. I lost it all back in my next session, but i opened up 4 tables and did well after dinner. Played about half an hour and won back everything I lost. I am up about 140 today so i will call it a night. Was a lot of fun again! Poker is fun!

I was watching a WPT event and daniel negreanu won it. I like what he said. He said that if you play poker for the money, you are playing for the wrong reason. He said he wants to win everything, player of the year, biggest money winner, etc, etc. I love that attitude because it just shows how much you love the game. Poker is a lot like chess in that there are different levels. I hope to progress and learn and improve my game. Right now i would say i am a pretty profitable 1/2NL 6-max player. I need some software to start tracking my results.

Roll is over 1400!

Played one more 30 min session and netted $100. Roll is sitting nicely at $1500! my last 3 sessions have doubled my bankroll from 755! 2 more nice sessions and $2k is in sight...which is my goal for February. I have already attained one of them, which is to make gold! Finally starting to hit some poker milestones that i have set for myself. Looking forward to see what the future holds!

February 15, 2008

I hit a huge hand and lost top pair (AQ on a Queen high board), to 2 pair. that was for almost a buy in, but i called a preflop raise which turned into 5 total people on a 6 handed table calling a preflop raise of $34! I had AJc and the flop came queen hi and 2 clubs. I was in the SB and I pushed for about 100 more and got 1 caller that had me covered and another shorty that had like $8 left. I hit a club on the river and took down a $350+ pot. Up about $100 on the night...After losing that hand with AQ i was up about 80 and ground it out to up about 105 and quit to play in a tourney. I am playing the $55 buy in $50k guarantee. I have been itching to play a tourney and had some tourney $$ on poker stars and decided to give it a go. I shut down the cash tables cuz i was up over $100 and wanted to concentrate on the tourney. Looking for a deep cash tonight.

So far, i am up to about 3500 (starting stack is 3000) about 30 mins in...table seems loose and exploitable. Updates to come.

Sitting below average at the first break. had about 4500, but lost 800 on the last hand. I had JJ and bumped it from 100 to 350 and the button raised to 800. I called and the flop came King hi. I check and he bet out 900. I had a feeling he had AK and let it go. need to make some progress this hour. otherwise i just need to get aggressive late for a push to the money.

2nd hand after break i limp the button with 78. flop comes 456. i check and there is one bet. turn comes 8, i check and dude pushes...has me covered by a ton. i call and river comes 7 and we split. would have put me over 7k. now, i sit around 3000 after a missed flop on the next hand. oh well.

finished a cash session up 265. would have been 365, but i lost KK to A3 against a short stack. very close to gold vip on stars...one more session and I am there...so I will be playing in the 100k free roll next weekend, which i am looking forward to.

Final Recap:

Poker is such a weird game. It is really just a psychological battle that you play with yourself. Always a balance between confidence and arrogance. My confidence was totally shattered the other night. I dropped about 600 and I documented some of the hands. I got in great and just got unlucky. That is part of the game. My sessions following were very good and made up for most of the losses. I just need to learn to take it in stride and not lose my confidence. I play a tighter brand of poker than most on the cash tables, but when I get in, I have the best of it usually.

It is funny because I hit a nice hand and was shutting down my tables. I had the sit out next blind check box checked and the last hand occurred on both of my tables at the same time. I had AA on one and KK on the other. I won a few bucks with my AA, but ended up dropping about 30 with my KK when I got into a 3way pot and lost to A3. Oh well.

Regarding my tourney play. I had a few nice hands, one of which would have been huge, but it got counterfeited when the board matched my 8 high straight. I made a few moves, chipped up and then ended up pushing A6o in MP and ran into AA. I think I made my move far, far too early. I was pushing things too hard and need to be more patient. When the blinds creep up things can change in a hurry and there is no need to push too hard. I need to remember that.

Anyway, my poker confidence is returning and I hope I can put together a sustained run of positive results and make a push to 2k+ on my bankroll.

Valentines Day!

I had a nice Valentines Day with Penelope. We made a nice dinner and spent some time together. It is tough with the little man around, so our Valentines day will really be on saturday because her mom is babysitting.

I just dont know how well i am cut out for poker. I did dabble tonight kinda late. i won about 250 and am up over 1k again, but damn its tough to deal with the swings...the worst part is that i am so underbankrolled that i need to avoid as much variance as possible...and how can you really do that. last night was a horrible dose and tonight i didnt get any huge hands...the only ones i was all in were actually against a shortstack that bought in for 40 and i took all 40 2 hands in a row. so i guess i was never all in.

i did play quite passively. i want to find tables where people limp a lot because i can really outplay them post flop. however, when people raise aggressively preflop and there is action post flop, i tend to play too passively and give in to aggression. I need to find tables that fit my style because i really do mop them up. I need to really keep this in mind!

February 13, 2008

I took last night off because I wasnt feeling well. I ended up going to bed around 8:30 and felt great this morning. however as the day wore on i started to get a headache again and not feeling well. I felt better after I ate and play just under an hour, mostly 3 and 4 tabling. I finished up $140, but still kicking myself over a horrible call i made. I donked off about 60 bucks making a horrible call. those are the reasons I dont like to have too much cash in front of me at the tables quite yet. i just dont want to risk too much.

My total roll is over 1400...so looking good!

ive run into aces a few times in my second session...nasty. my AA just got busted for 350+ on a rivered flush..so not a great set.

i have not hit a set either...just on my first hand and missed... so hopefully the cards will turn my way. i am kind of afraid that if i do hit a set it will be a set over set or a flush or straight draw...just that kinda night

i had AK and raised over teh SB...he called and i flopped AK he had AJ and hit runner runner runner straight.

next hand on another table, i flop 9Q9 wiht A9 and dude holds QQ...just fuckin unreal!

sick night tonight...just getting so unlucky and nuttin i can do about it. I am getting in good and losing to some pretty miraculous stuff.

what a fuckin night...im just gonna shut down my blog for a while cuz im frustrated. got in perfect situations, but time after time i got drawn out on...runner runner, miracle 2 outters...just frustrating.

February 11, 2008

Well, I am trending upwards. My balance stands at 1210 + 55 in tourney $$. I plan on using the $55 in tourney $$ to either continue to build more tourney $$ to get a buy in to the bigger weekend tourneys or just use it as a buy in for the $55 buy in $50k guarantee. Honestly, I wouldnt mind just playing in the $50k guarantee. It has 15 min levels and a 3k starting stack. that is a pretty nice structure that suits my style nicely.

Today I had the biggest hand I have ever won. Actually, I did get involved in a multiway pot where I hit the fullhouse with QQ, but I dont think it paid off quite as nicely as the hand i had tonight. I was up about $150 early in my session but then ran QQ into AA on a jack hi board effectively negating all my profits for the session. I was grinding it out and slowly losing to a lot of aggression from other players. I need to pull it back a bit and play more selectively because I am playing timidly and letting the aggressive player take control. I was also missing every flop...except for this one...

I had about $183 and was in the BB. It was folded around to the SB who limped. I had K10o and raised to 7. The Sb called and we saw a flop of AQJ 2 clubs and a spade. I flopped broadway, but I didnt like the 2 clubs, so I raised $10 into the $14 pot. The SB popped me to $30 and I reraised to $75. the SB called and we saw a 5 of spades hit the turn. The SB checked and I pushed my final $100 into the pot and he called. The river was a 9 of clubs and I was pretty nervous that he was on the flush draw, but he tabled AQ and my straight held up. I had a nice pot of just under $365. It was nice hitting a big hand when I typically buy in for about $100-120 and shut it down when I get over $200 and I am not catching cards...overall was a good, fun night.

February 10, 2008

Happy birthday to my mom and grandpa!

it has been an interesting weekend. I know that when I win a lot in a night that i am mostly just riding the wave of positive variance. the ups and downs are tough, but necessary parts of playing poker. I have been going up and down and settling in around 1k. I hope to make some cash this upcoming week because i have been hovering around 800-1200 for the past week. I have added a 3rd table and have gone from about 1300 VPPs on poker stars to about 2500 in the course of the weekend. That sort of pace puts me on course for some pretty major milestones and benefits. I dont think I will continue it, but if the bankroll starts to grow at a tremendous rate, I dont think I can pass up the cash.

anyway, sitting over 1k and 1500 VPPs away from gold star. I didnt play in the freeroll on saturday and most likely wont make it next weekend either. however, I will definitely play the last saturday of the month. and hopefully can get myself the $285 bonus at some point April.

anyway, poker is good...

February 9, 2008

Last night I played a marathon session. About 4 hours, mostly 2 and 3 tabling. I achieved my silver star on poker stars and am halfway to gold. I hope to get there within 2 weeks because then I can play in the monthly 100k freeroll.

overall last night I didnt get too many monsters. I flopped full houses a few times with medium pairs, but overall my big hands cost me. I lost AA twice and KK to AA. If any of those hands go my way I am a winner last night. However, I did end up winning about 6 bucks :o)

so i guess you can call that a winning session...hopefully I can get some tables in tonight and tomorrow and get to about 2500 VPPs so i only need to get another 1500 over the next 2 weeks to get to gold...

February 7, 2008

Tonight was a blah night. I could definitely feel that I was out of sync. ran a few bad bluffs and lost a few 2 outters. I could feel that things were just not running my way for a good 40-50 mins. I was 3 tabling with no issues and bought in for 100 on each. I treaded water, busted out of one and rebought into another. I had about 160-180 on all 3 tables when I shut it down. I hit a few big hands on each...was hitting my sets late in the night and rallied to be down about 36 bucks...so overall pretty much break even.

Tomorrow, I should be able to achieve silver star on poker stars...i wonder if I will start to accumulate the FPPs at the higher rate immediately or if i have to wait until the month is over. but it does start to qualify me for freerolls and to purchase bonuses...i am halfway to my $50 bonus. depending on the how the month goes, i might save it all for the 285 bonus when I hit gold!

see ya at the tables tomorrow!

February 5, 2008

After a rough weekend of playing and definitely some questioning of my own play, I had an excellent night. I guess it is just me allowing the game to come to me and not trying to push the issue. Also, my big hands actually got action. I had AA a lot tonight, as well as KK. In an hour session of 2 tabling, I would say I had AA 5 times and got it all in twice and took them both down without improving. I also have noticed that I need to play more aggressively. I think playing passively helps me manage pot size when my bankroll is still in the building mode, but I think I give up a lot of pots that I could take down with a little more aggression. I guess this is what they are talking about playing with scared money. If you dont play the hand aggressively, you end up losing a lot of money that you could easily pick up. also, when you have a hand people will give you the benefit of the doubt and not pay you off.

So, even though I had a great hour of play and won about $365 or 3.65 buy ins, I think it was just a correction from the weekend. So, i am pretty much even since last Friday. That is part of poker and you have to get used to these swings. honestly, a 4 buy in downswing is not a swing at all.

Anyway, back on the winning track and another good session. Looking forward to taking tomorrow off for Penny's birthday and getting back to the tables on Thursday.

February 4, 2008

So far had my QQ run into AA and my king high straight lose to Ace high...just rough. I might just call an end to this madness and study for the series 7. not rolled properly to make any cash and dont have the time to build a proper bankroll.

February 3, 2008

Losing some big hands today. Dude limped when I had 10 6 and we caught 2 6s on the flop. ended up slowplaying and he had K6. lost 150 on that hand. a couple other nasty ones and not a good start.

ive had aces 3 times in about 20 mins and have raised 3xbb all times and cant get any action! sucks! I am thinking about limping them in late position next time i get them...always have to raise early.

had aces two more times and both times UTG! busted a shortstack for like 40 bucks...man, cant capitalize on these huge ones!

i finally get a guy all in with my AA and he turns the set! unreal!

every one of my pairs is gettign smoked tonight...just getting killed.

Today has been an exercise in patience and futility. I am failing on the patience portion, but there is not much I can do. I am getting solid hands like JJ and QQ and the boards are coming ace and king hi and 3 or 4 to a suit. I cant get any action on aces and never hit sets when i limp in with pairs...overall, just a rough day. I hope my roll survives.

it is fun to write this blog as i play because it helps me relive the session. I need to understand that the game is based on feel. I hit sets on 2 straight, only got action on 1 of them, but it seems like you start to hit in streaks and when the streak is bad, u keep pots small, play hands in position, check your ego and let hands go. I have made a couple calls that I could have saved myself probably $150, but I didnt. when things are going your way, take a few chances, like calling a raise in the SB or BB with small pocket pairs.

well, just lost set over set and gonna call it a night in a few...just a sick, sick session.

I should be leaving a table after I get up to like 160-180. if i lose a hand, i lose a buy in and a half, but when i win them, i only win a buy in...need to be more strict about that

February 2, 2008

Started out grinding away up about $60 and then my AA lost to a perfect set up but the JJ hit runner runner straight and I dropped a buyin. I fought back and am winning now, but now i am about even. Had a few nasty river beats again, but if you have good pot control and only push hard later in the hand and when the board is more favorable, you dont run into them quite as much. Keep pots small, build as you build a very strong hand and punish them when they try to draw out.

Great hand for me. I was SB with 10 10. there were two limpers and i limped along. Flop comes 10 5 5. I checked and it was checked around all 4 players. turn was the 2nd diamond and a card that brought straight possibilities. It was checked around again to the button and he put in a small raise. I called and the river brought another diamond to bring flushes into the mix. I bet 10, was raised to 25 and i pushed. it was an overbet for sure, but i figured it would look like i am trying to buy the pot. he called and i won over 110 in the pot. sweet!

I just shut down my tables and ended the night up $4!! :o) Another winning session!

I will update tomorrow.

February 1, 2008

As you know if you read my last blog entry, I am going to make a push to really play in February. In the past I have set all sorts of pretty attainable goals, but for one reason or another I never met them. I know this about myself and I ask Penny to be understanding and encouraging when it comes to me playing poker. With a new baby, I know she is taking on a lot and I need to be there for her, but I figure this month will show whether I can truly make cash, meaningful cash, playing NL poker or if I should just shut it down and turn my attention to activities that are more worthwhile.

Well, in the week that I have started shortstacking the $1/$2 NL tables, I went from a bankroll of about $200 to now over $1050. I had an excellent session tonight after a few that were stressful, but probably more realistic. I am up about $268. What I really like about NL is that I am experiencing variance even while winning every day I have played. I think that you can win very consistently and my bankroll is growing every night I sit down.

I only played just over an hour, but I let the game come to me. I am noticing that the shortstacks when they act passively are very mindful of their stacks and small bets can force them off, otherwise they just push. People make loose calls and firing a 2nd barrel is often necessary - even a 3rd!

Anyway, what a great night and I am enjoying playing NL so much more than sngs. I am just excited to add more and more tables and get my roll up to the full buy in!

Check in tomorrow because I hope to have another session of at least an hour.

January 31, 2008

Well, I finished up January on a nice note finishing a 5 minutes session up $29 bucks. Penny and I went out for pizza and i took the opportunity to jump on the computer after we got back and try to make the pizza money. I had a few hands, but made the bulk of it by hitting the nut flush on the river. I didnt get called on my 80% pot sized bet, but was glad to make a few bucks and finish my first month of playing - well i should say my first week and a half - without a losing session!!

I started with my $100 bankroll and played some Multi table sngs with some success. I got bored and decided to jump to NL when my roll was about $225 and now it sits just under $800. I am glad to say that mixed in there was some pretty hefty variance, mostly bad i must say because I didnt suck out once when the money was all in, but I did lose a couple of them for very big pots. So, I am very happy with my play.

February is upon us and I am looking to hit gold status on Stars. If i do that, i assume my bankroll will leap well above $2k this month! Let's see if i can do it!

January 30, 2008

Today I won a quick $20 and bought into a satellite into the $55 buy in $50k Guarantee. I donked out early, but I am going to try to satellite into some of the tourneys. However, I think I will hold off until I get my bankroll over $1k. Should have done that today...but i did play a bit impatiently. Updates to follow after my session.

lost to the river gutshot and rivered flush for $300+ pots...I had chipped up on a few tables and then got involved in big hands. Lost them both on the river. Hopefully my luck will turn later this session, but my goal was to win a quick $100-$200. I would have been up about $400 had those two hands held up. Gonna keep plugging away!

What a crazy night...got into a big hand 3 way with QQ vs AK vs not quite sure...board had paired and was all black, so i was nervous, but the river was a queen and i filled up! won a $260 pot. Down a little, just lost to a 2 outter on the river...man, just a crazy night. Been taking some nasty beats on the river, but fighting back!

Ok, so including the buy in for the tourney I burned, I am up about 65 bucks. I was down quite a few hundred and took a few huge pots...here are a few things I have learned...

NL cash is quite a bit more aggressive. People raise with garbage and try to bluff their way to win pots. there are also quite a few people that call down with 2nd and 3rd pair. So, I need to bet my hands for value on the river when I have a solid hand. I cant get pushed off hands so easily and need to control the size of the pot. Do not build it on the flop and be very careful about playing marginal hands out of position. yes, i know these are all simple concepts, but I am violating them. I need to realize that spewing a few bucks here and there mean a lot both to your bankroll long term and your psychological state during the session as you watch your bankroll evaporate. Need to be a bit more disciplined and need to learn to get into the poker mindset earlier in my session. Play strong hands, bet your good ones and just let the crap go...learn it, live it!

So, another excellent night results-wise. I made a few bad calls that costs me a few hundred. I knew better and should have just folded...trust your gut and instinct. i am up a net of about $45. bankroll is $755 and thankfully growing. I earned well over 300 VPPs and will most likely fall short of making any VIP status this month. But, considering I started playing so late in January, I should easily make gold next month...shooting for a few of those cash bonuses or maybe a buy in to a tourney...anyway, until tomorrow!

Wow, it's been a long, LONG time!!

I have been away from poker for some time. I haven't flushed my bankroll down the toilet, but my passion for poker was waning and I had other things that I wanted to focus on. I was more focused on my job, on getting back into shape, and in the time that I was away, I had a baby boy! So, a lot has happened in the past 9 months!

I have moved to Tucson and have taken a job. I am making roughly twice what I was making 2 years ago and am loving my job. Being a father is just awesome! Life-changing is an understatement and one of the best byproducts of being a new father is the newfound discipline and sense of responsibility. I know it might seem ironic that I am talking about responsibility and all of a sudden I pop in to start up my poker blog again. My girlfriend, Penny, was considering getting a part time job, but I told her that I wanted to see if I could start up playing poker again. If she worked 20 hours per week and made like $10/hr, I told her that was just a waste of her time. That if I could start playing poker profitably again that I could make that and much more from the comfort of our own home.

How this all started was I put a few hundred bucks in Poker Stars and was messing around playing sngs. I gravitate towards those because I am an effective player. However, the game is so mechanical and there are so many people grinding sngs that I decided i would make the leap to NL. It was something I have always wanted to do and decided I would say screw the sngs and focus on playing some NL. Well, I have a starting bankroll of about $100. I started playing NL about a week ago. I am shortstacking the $1/$2 NL game. I buy in for $100 and try to grind out some dough. So far, I have had all winning sessions and have brought my bankroll to over $700. I am also shooting to make Gold Star on Poker Stars next month so I can start to work towards earning some cash bonuses to build my roll. It is all quite fun and exciting. I know I am still gambling with my bankroll due to playing well over my head. One bad run and I am pretty much toast! However, recent success has made me feel confident and I am looking to document what i have learned and put it down for me to review. I am learning with every session and I dont want to forget some of the lessons that I have paid to learn!

When I sit down, I need to remember to not force the action. Control the pot size and do not build it too quickly...be careful of playing out of position and just relax and let the game come to you. At this level, there are so many people willing to put all their cash in the middle with draws and pure bluffs that being patient is the key. I forced a little and dropped about 2/3 of a buy in tonight. I spent the rest of the night digging out of the hole I dug and then another half hour grinding out some profit. On the night, up $40 and made 213 FPPs on PS.

Look out, here I come!!