Jack of Heartz

2011-11-06T14:01:00.002-06:00

ok my volume has been bad this week. Worked picked up a little which is always good, a friend and I ran to Tunica on a whim Tuesday and I chopped the deep stack tournament at the Horseshoe for $360. 3 handed chip leader had 60% of the chips in play. me and the 3rd place guy have less than 10BBs each and get offered an even 3 way chop giving us slightly better than 2nd place money I believe and we took it. Then went skydiving on Friday!

I was super impressed with my play on Tuesday night. I'm rusty at poker in general and haven't played an MTT in a couple years my less live poker. So it felt great to run good, play better, and my reads were spot on. I ran a 3 street semi bluff shoving the river when I missed knowing I could make the big stack calling station fold a medium pair and he did. Felt AMAZING! I have so missed playing poker. Today going to watch the live WSOP broadcast and hopefully I can get some games in tomorrow!

Don't call it a comeback!

2011-10-30T20:26:00.002-05:00

OK maybe you should since I just noticed I haven't blogged in over 2 years and my last post was actually about HU SNGs. I've deposited $100 on Black Chip Poker and playing micro limit HU. I'm working in my own computer repair shop but business is really slow so I've decided so start at the micros and try working my way up in my free time there.

Yesterday I played the $3 4man HU games and broken even after about 20 games. Today I moved down to what I plan to be my main game and thats the Super Turbo HU games. I played the $2 games and played 32 games and was up about 4.5BIs on the day. My plan is to get 75 BIs for the $4s and move up again. I'd like to be able to move to the 4s sometime in November but we'll see. Just starting this up to maybe help motivate myself. not sure if any of my old poker buddies still play or read this. If so hit me up!

1st coaching session with Cog Dissonance

2009-08-09T19:17:00.002-05:00

Went very well except I had to get up early for it. Early being noon lol I am doing a 4 hour beginner HU SNG course he has designed. I learned a lot from it so far even though I've only done 2 hours of the 4 hour course. Next Sunday I'm going to get the last 2 hours and maybe try to do a session every other week or something. I didn't get to play any during the week this past week. Working 10+ hours a day just makes me too tired when I come home to get in any quality time.

Fox had an article on PocketFives this week about players not spending the time or money to get coaching and get better and I'd been thinking of getting coaching and this really made me think I need to get off my ass and do it. I wish I could get more time in during the week to play because the coaching sessions will cut into my available playing time each week.

My 1st ever slowroll and guy comes back to win

2009-07-26T19:21:00.003-05:00

Ran really bad today. Players 3 outting me several times. This genius had 4x raised and shoved me in lvl 2 with KTo and river a K to beat my QQ and ran his mouth about it in the rematch. I couldn't help myself here. I should have typed in chat but my bro walked in and I wanted him to witness the slowroll.

Date:	2009/07/26 20:19:25 ET
Type:	Tournament (100741441)
Game:	Hold'em NL
Table:	1
Blinds:	$10/20

Table info:

Dealer, Posts small blind $10

Seat 1:jackofheartz13%20')">jackofheartz13 ($1,180)

Posts big blind $20

Seat 2:WinOrWalk ($1,820)

Dealt to jackofheartz13

Check odds

Preflop: (Pot: $30)

RAISE jackofheartz13, to $60
RAISE WinOrWalk, to $100
CALL jackofheartz13, $40

Check odds

Flop: (Pot: $200)

BET WinOrWalk, $180
CALL jackofheartz13, $180

Check odds

Turn: (Pot: $560)

BET WinOrWalk, $440
CALL jackofheartz13, $440

River: (Pot: $1,440)

BET WinOrWalk, $1,100 and is ALL-IN
WinOrWalk: bye
jackofheartz13 has requested TIME
WinOrWalk: you're done
WinOrWalk: frustrating isn't it
jackofheartz13 calls 460, and is all in
CALL jackofheartz13, $460 and is ALL-IN
RETURN WinOrWalk, $640

Showdown:

SHOWS WinOrWalk

SHOWS jackofheartz13

jackofheartz13 wins the pot of $2,360 with four of a kind, Jacks

Poker Gods weren't amused. He wins 99 v/s AKs, he flops set, I turn flush he rivers board. Then he calls all in on turn with a GS and rivers me v/s my top pair. Thats how bad I run at this game.

Fri nite

2009-07-24T21:33:00.002-05:00

Was doing great until I dropped 4 in a row to a complete donk station. He calls an overshove on turn with 2nd pair + SD and gets there, he woke up with AA on me once when he'd been calling me down with weak pairs and I paid him off, He floated Q9 on a T hi board when I 3 bet ATs pre and Q on turn he has 1 PSB and I shove, and then I flop nut straight and FD on JT9ds board, he had A9o and calls flop, turn is Q he calls again, river is a K and he shoves and tank and call cause the straight is on the board and he can't have an Ace here can he? And there went my profits on the day :-( I had won 9 of 10 games after losing 3 in a row early. Was almost ready to call it a night with what i thought was a nice profit. Nothing like having great reads and notes and dropping 4 BIs to the moron. He literally was calling Ace hi on most boards, any pair, etc. He was so bad.

5 in a row now as moron calls down and catches the FD v/s my top pair then calls my shove with QTo and my AJ is no good when he rivers Q. Typical weekend players completely clueless and running hot. What is it with every station running hot tonight? They can't miss and I can't hit and when I do they outdraw me. i don't think I've seen a pocket pair above 6s in hte last 6 games. Lost 6 of 7 now. Probably call it a night soon. Thought I could get back to good tonight but I'm slightly down cause of rake so if I can get up I'll probably stop. I've played almost 30 straight games now anyway.

Thurs nite update

2009-07-23T22:45:00.002-05:00

Went 9-7 in my early session. Not great but not horrible. Couple big coolers but otherwise kinda boring. Evening session I started off dropping 3 in a row to a complete station. He was the biggest rack I've ever played. He never folded to any raise. I lost KK to his A7 on a A7xx board that was all diamonds on the flop and I had Kd. He flops a flush next game on a mono flop where I had top 2, 3rd game he got TT v/s my top pair. he was the biggest station I've ever seen but hit everything it was so sick.

1 tabling regular speeds is really boring. I think I need to make myself keep doing it though. I'm getting a great feel for players when I can keep myself from surfing the net while playing. I need to quit betting so much preflop and start working in more limps, need to quit c-betting everything, and slow down my agression and just figure everyone is a station until I learn otherwise. If I stop bluffing and start value betting more I think I'll be better off.

Just frustating I lose those 3 in a row to start the session, got another donk down to like 9BBs and he sucks out 2 in a row then wins a flip and has the lead now. I have the most readable opponent ever. He min raises evrey btn, bets 75% of the pot every flop and folds to a check raise like 50%+ and calls down most pairs if he gets a piece. He cbet and folded 3 times in a row and 4 out of 5 its pretty horrible. He'll get on a heater to win I'm sure lol WooHoo finally won something. Went 5-3 in the evening session after dropping 3 won 5 in a row. Not too bad.

Horrible day at the 11s. FTP hates me

2009-07-22T12:59:00.004-05:00

1st 2 games I had a good feel and reads on my opponent so obv I lose them. AQ < AK and then A9 < A7. 4th match of the day moron is tilting and in level 1 has 750 chips and 3 bet/calls shove 97o v/s my AK. Flop AK7, turn X, river 7 obv. Thought I got lucky cause he times out and I get to steal a couple hundred of chips before he came back. Was hoping he just closed his window when I spiked 2 pair on the flop. Can't get rid of the guy. Get him chipped down to 750 and he flops trips and checks and I turn top pair + FD and double him. Get him down again and at 25/50 and 750 chips he lim/calls a 200 bet with KQ. Flop is Kxxhh and I have AThh and get it in and brick out. He bluffs off when I flop a flush and I get him down to 400 at 30/60 he calls my shove with J7s and flops the straightv/s my A4. This match will be 100 hands shortly. Match went over 110 hands. He sat out the last 20 of them. Of course thats when I got AA, KK and 88 and a few other nice hands.

I get this donk down to 10BBs and he dbls 99 v/s TT, then ge him back to 10BBs he gets Kk v/s my AQ, then I get him down to 20BBs and I have 2 pair v/s his top pair river pairs board givng him 2 pair, then I have 9BBs and shove A5 and he has KK AGAIN! Unreal how bad I run some days. Thats what sucks about these is playing 20+ minutes to have a moron win every all in. Least in a turbo its over in under 10 minutes. Currently 7 games and I'm 3 BIs below expectation lol Add in how f'ing slow they are going today and its pretty brutal. I should have 2x the amnt of games in.

Good grief I get this donk to mostly stack off by CRAI top pair and he insta calls A8 on 9 hi boardHas 600 chips at 20/40 and autoshoving and my A9 < KJ and I double him and we're back to even now. Finally win a race v/s him when I shove 88 and he snap calls K9o then he shoves k3 into my KK.

Proud of myself on this ownage. Such a sick value bet on the river. http://www.pokerhand.org/?4501053

Donkey calls down gutter and gets there then raises/shoves lvl 1 with A7o and hits his 3 outter. Next guy calls a 3 bet J9s v/s my AA and flops 2 pair and stacks me then tells me I'm a slowplayer. Not sure how 3 betting pre, lead/calling a shove on the flop with an overpair is slowplaying? Same guy rematches me 3 times. 4th game he keeps limping his btn and folding when I get KK, QQ and JJ. I get AA on my btn and raise and of course he calls K7 and the flop is K7x and I don't improve and double him up. Guy runs good v/s Aces obv. I get him down 7BBs at 40/80 and obv he gets AA to my AQ and back to even. He's so annoying in this 4th match overshoving like a huge donk or calling shoves with KTo etc but I can't get him out of the game. He wins 4th match when we get all in his Q7 v/s my T8 on QT8 flop and rivers trips.

Not sure why I'm doing a 5th match with him he's so slow but so bad. He hasn't won when he didn't crack my AA both times. Even though he had to play another 20 minutes and river me to win the 4th match. Internet drops and I ge blinded off for 1/2 ,y stack in the 5th match. He's been constantly shoving my limps so I limp JJ with 20BBs and of course flop is KQx, turn A, river 7 he min bets and I call and he had a 7 but there went my trapping him with a monster limping. Next hand he raises and I shove KQ he had QQ but I somehow flop a K and gold to get a 2:1 lead. Guy runs so good. He's stil so super agro he min raises Ad3s and I call Kd5c flop is 4d3d2s and I CRAI thinking I'm way ahead. Well I'm way ahead of his range here but obv not this hand. He's got a 2:1 lead again. Limp AK and obv he check behinds and folds after shoving my last couple of limps or btn raises. Then he coolers me Ak v/s AQ. MBN to run good. Then his KT > A9.

Even through 15 games now and still 3 BIs below expectation and not including the coolers v/s that donk of the 2 AA hands he got lucky or the AK v/s AQs I've had today. Just had a guy call in the BB with 55, donk lead call a 332 flop, donk call turn 6 and ck/call my shove when a 6 hits the river. Double paired board and he thinks 55 is good there. Obv it was but its rare he's ever ahead. Then he 3xs amd snap calls a 30BB shove with J9 and gets there. Rematch he gtes crushed with the deck with KK and QQ when I get either top pair or big draws and miss. This makes 4 losses in a row and I'm now down on the day. I double through him once then he 4x/calls a shove with KT and rivers a straight. Only 4 buy ins down in expectation now lol Rematch he 4xs and calls my shove of 30Bbs with QT and somehow my AQ held. Donkey gets me again getting hit with the deck hten wins a couple races. 5 in a row lost now which is something I thought I wouldn't do often 1 tabling these.

Flop trips and turn FD v/s turned flush obv. Paid him back I bet he 3 bet 88 and I call AJhh. Flop 986 2 hearts and we get it in and I turn my flush. Lose a race to get the guy back in the lead and now he's open shoving 22+BB stack. Then he says he has go and starts shoving more and I call A9s and he had 73o gg me. 6 losses in a row lol Get a win v/s bluffing moron then lose another flip and out of another. Lost 6 of 7 now. 7 of 8 as I run TT into QQ. Run into huge agro moron and get him down to 500 chips early then he starts shoving 35BBs steals a couple pots and then rivers a split when i turn a straight and we get it on river, then wins a race and back to even. Good grief cut me some slack FTP? Down 5 buy ins now and lost everything I won yesterday. Run top pair into btm 2 on K74 flop. HTF do these donkey's hit everything v/s me? Then I shove KJ get called by J6 and double on another table, moron then calls a 15BB shove with A7 and flushes my A8 and I've lost 8 of 9 now. I was 2 tabling the last 6 or 8 games cause I'm heading out and needed to get some iron man points. Currently 6 buy ins below expectation. Every day I think more and more about Poker Stars. If I didn't have so many points on Tilt and rakeback I'd be back on Stars in a heartbeat. Finally win a race.

Total I'm down 6 BIs today. 5 BIs below my expectation level in Hold Em Manager. Lost 7 in a row and 9 of 10 at one point at the end of this run. Mainly on suckouts and coolers. pretty disappointed cause I did so well last night and ran over people and today they kept out running and coolering me. Also opponents this afternoon were super agro and last night they were all super passive.

moved to non turbo 10s and still running bad

2009-07-21T22:03:00.002-05:00

I moved to the 10 non turbos 1 tabling for now. With my rakeback I had 200 in my account so I'll give it 5 buy ins here and see how I do.

I get this incredidonk worst player I've ever seen. Beats me in game 1 getting lucky on e huge hand then shoves 20BBs with K3 and my JJ is no good. Rematch I get KQ and he calls. I fop JT9 and he calls down J2 and catches a 4 flush with his 2. Seriously sick how bad I'm running. Then I get KK and he calls down pot bets on the flop and turn with Q8s and rivers a flush and tells me I'm a donk when on the river we have 1/5 the pot in our stacks lol

Get him down short and we both flop trip 4s he has me outkicked and talks trash lol I love poker sometimes. Moron just calls down and catches like every river. Had him down to 300 at 10/20 and now he has 1K at 15/30. Finally beat him he calls down 92 on T96Q2 board and I had set of 6s. Went 4-4 against him. Least I got even - the rake.

I actually won 6 in a row at one point. The I get a donk who just continues to all or bet his way to the river every hand and get there. Hard to explain but he always had a hand if he got to the river even if he had to river btm trips or something. Couldn't bet him off a hand, if you raised he love to 3 bet, but then a lot of times he was so passive just calling down weak pairs and cathing up with whatever I had to win at showdown. Like he get all in A2 v/s my AT and the board comes AKJKT to split when I was short and needed that double up. He'd call huge bets on flush draws. I just couldn't get enough hands to value bet him like I needed. But if its possible the regular players seem much worse than the turbo players. Maybe its a combo of them being worse and me 1 tabling so I notice more about their play. lol @ this hand in our 3rd match lvl 1 he 3 bets 44 and checks down a K62QJ board. I had QJ and 1/2 pot river and he insta calls lolz

Had another donk who literally never raised pre, called down btm pair or gutshots and rivered so many of them it was unreal. I could bet 3 streets and he's min raise river and show me btm trips, gutshots, and even a FH once when I had flopped mid pair + FD. He'd nevre fold an Acew on the flop regardless of the flop. Couple of these villians should go buy some lottery tickets tonight seriously. He got me down to 350 at 25/50 and I kept my head and my focus and came back to win. Longest HU battle I've ever had I think.

Overall I went 12-6. $50 profit so I recovered 1/2 my losses. I only played 1 table which is boring and I did my best to stay off the browser as much as possible. We'll see how 1 tabling goes though I think I played much better and focuses more on my opponents. Also I didn't try to push as many edges. I tried playing a lot of small pots unless I had a huge hand as well.

moving down

2009-07-21T19:12:00.002-05:00

Dropped 9 BIs today and moving down to the 6.25s again. I just run so bad its pathetic. I continued to get coolered today by donks. AQ into AK, JJ into KK, turned 2nd nut straight v/s nut straight, top pair v/s agro donk and he has 2 pair, etc. Thats 1/2 my losses today were absolute coolers and then I ran below expectation as usual and didn't win many flips.

I talk to Cog over at 2+2 about coaching cause yesterday I had a good run and was up 5 BIs at the 11s. He wants $200 for a 4 hour lesson plan for noobs which isn't bad but he wants to do it over skype and monitor sharing or something. I'm not a big fan of doing voice over shit on the computer. I much prefer AIM. Also he wants to do several sweat sessions which to me are useless. No one plays the same when they know someone is watching them. So you aren't playing your game. Much better to let someone review random HHs imo.

I was going to suck it up and do it but after dropping 100 today I won't be any time soon. Also thinking of dropping to just 1 table for a while and see if my results get better. Also still seriously thinking of going to Stars. I still say I run horrible on Tilt. No I don't think its rigged but so far in my career I've run 10x better on Stars and its not even close. I may also go to non turbos starting tomorrow and see how I do just 1 tabling them.

I should just learn I run bad and deal with it

2009-07-19T19:45:00.003-05:00

OK ran bad but still made enough to move up to the 11s today. By run bad I mean horrible. 1 guy beat me 3 in a row I believe calling with complete air and sucking out. My fav hand in the 3rd match he limp calls with something like J7o I think on the btn. I have AA. Flop is low ran and I pot he calls, turn appears to be a brick so I check/call his shove which is exactly what I was hoping for and he shows me a gutshot draw and gets there.

I ran into lots of hands like that today. In my 1st 5 games at the 6s today 3 of them I lost on the river where guys called down weak flush or straight draws v/s my overpairs, sets, etc and then shoved the river for less than pot.

Anyway I movved up and that didn't start well. Ran like I was at the 6s. I set myself 5 BIs and if I lost that I would move back down. Lost 3 of my 1st and before I got to 20 games I was 3 BIs down and figured I would be moving down. Turned it around and won 5 in a row and 7 of 8. So I'm up a couple buy ins through almost 30 games. Small sample but its a start.

Edit
Man I run so bad. Went back and lost 8 of 9. Got to down 4 BIs and finally got a win streak again. Had a 4 tabling donkey in a bunch of rematches that he just kept hitting. He was super agro and just kept sucking out. He'd make outrageous calls with only overs when he'd bet I'd shove and he wasn't committed. I might have broke even but I'm not sure. I think he took me for a couple buy ins in like 10 games. I had that 8 of 9 and then when I got back in the black I dropped another 5 in a row. Finished the session down only 3 BI though I think. I'm even overall now at the 11s after this horrendous run.

My fav hand of the night was guy raises then disconnects and when he comes back shoves my 3 bet and obv he had AA. The old disconnect to look weak trick. Then just now in my last game I got a guy who 3x bet folds WAY too often and he bets I shove JTs and he had KK. Flop is JT5, 1 spade I have 2 spade. Turn Qs, river 9h and he wins. So sick. I know he's ahead pre but man to flop 2 pair and then turn gives me the flush draw cutting down his outs even more and he still gets there.

seriously full tilt is going to life tilt me

2009-07-18T21:59:00.003-05:00

Had a decent session yesterday. Today I did another 75 games and won $35 but my expectation was almost 2x that. I've played 471 games now and my ROI is only 2.3% my expectation is 4.4% and if I'm right that only includes all ins and I've been getting a lot of coolers. Like today I had a 4 game swing v/s 1 donkey who won 1 flip and then 3 other times he got it in at best as 35-40% and won them all.

I'm making some changes to my game as well. Trying to play more pots in position and making smaller raises and several limps. A lot of people play so bad there just isn't a reason to be playing so many raised pots in the middle game if I can just keep chipping up in small ones.

Anyway I know my ROI sucks but I've almost got 20 BIS now for the 11.50s and I'm going to move up at 20 and down at 15. Also 1 more week of "vacation" til I have to go back to work. Kind of dreading that cause I had meant to make it much farther in my plans for poker. Kind of got derailed with Omaha but I learned a lot and still want to keep playing it but the variance is a lot for me to handle.

I really hate Full Tilt and a 20 game rematchathon

2009-07-15T16:56:00.004-05:00

I've never had much success there in any form but LHE and even then I always ran much better at other sites. Currently down another 7 BIs at the $6 level which should be a rare accomplishment for anyone with a brain stem. I'm 6 BIs under expectation of course.

Just realized I had a 20 game marathon v/s 1 opponent. In the 3rd rematch decide he's going to open shove every hand, then he start to vary only shoving 80% and mixing in an occasional limp with 32o which he managed to flop 2 pair and sucker me in both times. But I did take numerous buy ins off him as he kept rematching. Got lucky and had AA on the 1st hand a couple times, had KK late in 1, he did manage to fold 2x to my AA when he started mixing limps and the rare fold in. Lucky guy. He did win 1st hand of one with 95o v/s my AQs, and his 32 > KQ, Final score was Me - 14 Cario94 - 6. And somehow I'm still down on the day lol

OK I've played 100 games down about 7 buy ins and I'm 10 BIs behind my expectation overall today. This is insane to run this bad against such bad players. To keep getting in ahead and losing, to rarely ever catch when i semi bluff and get called by 2nd pair, or that I can get someone down to 5:1 and they win 5 all ins in a row to win the match. I did this 5 times today I think. Obv I never come back from there even though I'm fairly decent at short stack situations.

Of course I still need like 10K points to get my iPod on Tilt and need another day of play to get enough to make a cash out for my rakeback this week but I'm seriously thinking of trying Stars HU games tomorrow. Can't run any worse.

I run so bad...

2009-07-14T16:24:00.004-05:00

Decided to take a break from the Omaha tables and play some HU SNGs. Low variance usually easy money, etc etc. Did well the last couple of days. 7% though 100 games is kinda low but its ok I've run bad. Today I win 4 in a row and I'm currently 7.5 BIs down. So in the last 24 games I've dropped 11+ buy ins. WHich is hard to do if you wanted to do it. I've lost 7 times with dominating hands where they had AJ v/s my JJ, or AK v/s A3s and they got there. I've yet to suck out in a big pot, win a coin flip, and rarely win with a dominating hands preflop. I'm having to get big hands paid off cause I can't win anything preflop. But while this 5x happy hour is going I'm trying to pile in games. I thought this should be low variance good way to make some points. Good way for me to lose lots of monies obv.

Current daily winnings: -55
EV$ adjusted wins: -7.33
unfucking believable.

AQs < A9
77 < A7
I call a bet in the BB and plan to shove any flop. Flop comes J96 and I get called by A7o. wp sir
AK < 99 can't win a race today obv
run K7 into K8 on K84 flop
99 < A9
A2 < 22 idk how he raise/calls a shove with 22 here wp sir
A3 < A7 I can't win these either
AK I flop top pair moron calls down a 5 hi FD and rivers a gutshot
then my AT < KT and I'm out
KQ < QT AIPF flop comes KQ9, 2, J obv
55 < Q6 catches the flush
66 < A6 this was a cooler. He limps I ck. Flop A45, turn A, river 6. Pretty sure he just calls the turn and I can't get away on the river.
AKss < 97dd on 8d7s2s flop where I'm a huge fav he min ck raises and calls a shove.
65dd < AKo on J87ddx flop. Once again 70% fav is no good
AKs < A3s flop comes 542 lol

OK got back to even thanks to 1 donk who sat with me almost 10 times. 71 games break even at the 6s is horrible. My EV line is like 7 buy ins above where I was today. Going to relax now 71 games and my mind is fried lol

Sat updates

2009-07-11T17:34:00.003-05:00

Started off well got a guy to stack off 2nd nut straight v/s my nut straight on flop. Then I flop full house with KKxx on AAK flop BvB. SB check/calls flop, turn T ck ck, river blanks he cks I bet and he insta shoves and I think a minute and can't see him doing this with a better full. He'd have to bet the river wouldn't he? obv not and I stacked off. :-( Obv I should just check behind the river but I got greedy and looking back the only hand that might pay me off is a bare Ace. Had he just bet I would have called but not raised.

Top 2 + NDF no good v/s bottom set. FLop nut straight + 2 pair on FD board lead/call. Turn bricks I check he weak bets and I pot he calls. River puts flush out and I check he bets and I'm getting 5:1 to call and obv he had flush. DOwn 2 buy ins now. Just sucked out top 2 + flush draw v/s middle set. I have a hard time getting away from hands like that with so many outs but maybe I shouldn't be so agro with them.

IDK what to say about this hand.

http://www.pokerhand.org/?4464618

Back to even after that. I can't see it being a horrbile play this is a good flop for me if he doesn't have JJxx in his 3 bet range. I got the gutshot v/s AAxx too. Games are super agro this afternoon. Up over a buy in again trying to tighten up and pick my targets better.

Turn 2nd nut straight and shorty shoves so I call and player behind calls with FD and gets ther ein a decent sied pot. I CRAI in a 3 bet pot with a wrap and he had AAxx and I don't get there and get stacked. Was somehow up 2 BIs and back to even again. Flop nut straight + NFD and call flop, turn put s abigger straight out so I just call and I brick out.

Then I bet 2 streets with an overpair, river straight but it puts a flush and he pots I call like a donk cause there are 2 possible straights. Have to get it through my head no one bluffs in Omaha and if a flush came in they have it. I've cost myself a couple buy ins today cause of that. Sure I already had a large portion in but I didn't have to pay off the river bets. Flop top set and check call, turn puts a 3 straight ck ck river 3 flush and he pots I fold. Unreal how whenever I make a hand every draws comes in v/s me yet I never can get mine to come in.

3 way pot on turn I have nut straight v/s small straight v/s nut straight + redraws to straight and flush :-( Just not my day. I did get AAxx to stack off v/s my top set to balance this out though so still down only 2 BIs at the moment. Flop top set in 4 way pot luckily there is a straight and flush draw out and I call with 2 players yet to act, turn puts the straight out I call a 1/2 pot bet and fold river. Flopping the nuts and losing so often sucks. Just amazes me how often everyone's draws but mine come in. I guess cause i'm not betting weak draws into 4 players, calling down bare flush draws, etc.

Flop trips on 755 board and I have the OESD + SFD he had 77 obv. Down almost another hundo on the day and I may call it a day and consider moving down to 10PLO for a while but I hate doing that since I started off well and still feel even though I'm not good I'm bettter than most of these players. Flop bottom full and guy CR the turn and bets and I fold the river. unreal.

OK i've dropped 10 BIs the last 4 days at $25PLO and I'm stopping this session reviewing a few hands and then having dinner. If I play more tonight it will be 10PLO until I get up 5 buy ins for 25 PLO and try it again. Last orbit I flop but straight and idiot with 1/2 stack pots and calls all in weak FD, turn flush obv.

Anyone know about Hold Em Manager EV Graphs? edit with answer I found

2009-07-10T23:42:00.004-05:00

Just want to double check I'm reading this right. Like tonight my winnings were -$5.90 but my All In EV was about -$90. If I'm reading that right it means I'm 90 below expectation on the session. The last 3 days I've dropped $260 but my All in EV is -$300. So that would be about right I think. Thats not including the suck outs where I've paid off the turn or river either which feels like has been even more than my all in graph shows.

If I'm reading it right then I feel a whole lot better about my play and results. Although tonight was still frustrating as hell when I couldn't get a hand past the flop.

edit:

OK so apparently when the all in EV line is below my winnings I'm running hot. Which doesn't make sense cause tonight it shows my winnings as -$5.90 and my all in EV as -$90. Maybe short term it has more to with winning as a 60/40 fav or something. Obv longterm those would equal out more but short term winning as a small favorite would distort the graph I guess. But it shows me running good my last 500 hands of the night in all ins and I don't remember but one time where I was slightly behind and got there unless they were some short stacks I might have gotten into all in with and got there.

But looking at my current downswing starting on the 8th the amount I was down was about the same as my graph shows my All in EV was above my actual wins. So until tonight I was running bad and tonight at the end I happened to heat up and the lines crossed back over. IDK it still doesn't take into account where I flop the nuts and have to fold the turn or river cause someone got there on me. Thats contributing to my huge non showdown losses.

Autofolding when river pairs and I have nuts on turn

2009-07-10T20:43:00.003-05:00

Cause I get shoved and I call and they made a pot call with a set and suck out every time. I get this moron in a huge pot with my nut straight and river pairs and he insta shoves and I of course don't believe him cause how can a set call the turn when its obv I have the straight? sigh KQJT flop KQx guy in front pots and I call turn K we get it all in on river he had dry KQxx and we split.

Only lost 1 big pot where I already had 60% of my stack in when he rivered a boat yet somehow I'm down 2 buys in and I've already stacked 1 person early.

Donks are out tonight though. I'm tightening up and getting them drawing thin to dead often and paying off on the river with 2nd and 3rd best hands when its obv they are beat. Maybe the regs here same the same about me though but I'm not playing 75% of my hands and potting and calling off my entire stack on the river with a hand I went runner runner to make bottom boat with either.

Guy calls flop with GS we both make our straight on turn and get it in he rivers flush obv Flop top set and bet/call and turn brings the stright lol Should have just 3 bet I guess buts pretty obv what I have when I do. But since everyone hits their draws v/s me its insane. Just sicked out top set v/s flopped straight v/s a med stack. And just 4 bet with AAxx and shoved flop h calls he had a draw and it missed somehow. Onlt down 1 buy in at the moment. Sad I tend to be thinking how many buy ins I'm not instead of up every night this week :-(

Get it in with straight v/s top set obv turn pairs lol I can't tell how I'm playing honestly cause I can't win anything on Stars right now. Back to down 3 buy ins now. I have players who are 93/6/7 at my table who are winnning and I can't beat them this is so bad.

I can't make anyone fold right now. Getting 4 players to a flop and none of my hands hold. I might as well just limp anything I want to play. Of course I get KK and flop is AKJds and turn puts the flush and straight out. Hit plenty of huge sets tonight and never gotten to show down with them. Usually check flop and check fold turn. Flop over pair + GS v/s 2 small stack and obv one had 2 pair the other a draw that gets there.

I have a pFR of 12 tonight and can't get less than 2 calls every flop and then getting serious action on every flop. And I can't hit a flop to go anywhere. Know I've got to be getting bluffed but when guys have a 70 VPIP and 50% showdown not much I can do without something I can show down. OK just went on a rush and won several hug pots to get to even. Then get AAxxss bet over 2 limps and get 3 calls flop is T high and the 2 big stacks both call. Turn 9 and UTG insta pots and I just fold. So I'm down like $5-$10 but I've got another 1300 hands in this session and I'm tired. If I'm reading HEM right my all in ev is $100 below expectation and I'm only down $130 overall so thats not too bad imo. I could be reading this wrong if anyone has any experience with it LMK. Does the All in EV being negative and lower than my actual wins on the day mean I ran below expectation? I can't find any info in their help files.

Early session today

2009-07-10T13:41:00.002-05:00

Not starting well. Flopped the nuts and got outdrawn a couple times. Get AAxx and call down cause I think the guy is bluffing and he was but runner runners a straight. Down 1.5BIs already. I know downswings are normal and I'm still new, making mistakes etc. but I'm getting really frustrated right now. I just seem to miss so many hands or flop the nuts and get outdrawn. I know you are supposed to be playing hands with redraw potential but in 6 max you can't just sit and wait for those premo hands. When I do make those hands I don't get any action. I'm thinking of tightening up even more but not sure thats good cause I don't want to be a total nit. I'm also going to open my 3 betting range as well. I'm getting too passive calling in position with some wraps.

I can't remember in the last 4 days ever getting it in set over set or flopping top set and getting any action. Just got all in AAxx v/s AAxx on a rag flop v/s a med stack and he runner runners a flush lol Lose $50 pot when I turn 2nd set and moron calls with NFD+ GS and gets there. Floated flop after 3 calls and a BDNFD lol

Got up a couple buy ins then flop NFD + GS with AAxxds and get it in v/s KK and QQ who had a set and miss my outs. Got up 2 buy ins again and stack off top full house v/s quads lol Next hand I flop top set with AA and he rivers a flush and I fold. I get AA again v/s him next hand he calls down rags and rivers a flush with 82xx. MBN to play good and get there. He's taken 2 buy ins off me now. 1 with a cooler and another on 3 hands with garbage. Lose another 1/3 buy in when a run down calls me and flops trips v/s my AA again. I bet I lose money with AAxx. I lose all my big all ins with it regardles of what I'm against. I either fold everyone out on the flop or lose a med to large pot with when I flop a draw to go with it and dont get there. River full house but against flopped quads.

This is always fun 4 way raised pot pre I fop nut straight and I check raise 2 players. Turn pairs the btm card and I check/call small pot on the turn and river obv someone had top full house and 2 outed me. Gone from +2 BIs to -3 now. I may seriously look at moving down next week if this continues. Done well today making some big folds but I guess I have to start doing it when I'm sure I just got 2 outted in spot like that.

OK I hit a few hands and won a couple flips and I'm up almost 1 BI woohoo and I've played almost 1500 hands I'm taking a break.

still losing

2009-07-10T02:04:00.002-05:00

Had a bunch of stuff going on today so I shouldn't have played. I put in about 900 hands I think and dropped $40. I had a $30 pot with 2nd set v/s top set on the turn that I couldn't get away from in a 3 way pot. Lost of donks out tonight played 70% of hands and catching 100% v/s me. Think I'm down about 11 buy ins in the last 3 days now.

Another sick night

2009-07-09T01:46:00.003-05:00

Starting to tilt now. Just dropped 3 more buy ins. Lost with trips 3x, Lost with 2 pair when he rivered bot set, 3 bet called 4 bet with AAxxss v/s huge donk only to fold turn, all in pre AA94ss v/s KTJ9ss and got rivered. All my rundowns miss horribly and I'm catching nothing but coolers and suckouts. Was down $80ish and I stacked someone with the flopped straight v/s his pair + OESD so I'm currently down 60ish. Down about 10 BIs today which is kind of sick. I know its not uncommon but its frustrating when you are trying to learn the game. Just missed Broadway wrap and NFD and donk bets $1 into $10 pot and I have no pair on river lol

BANGING MY HEAD INTO THE DESK!!! PLEASE STARS CAN I RUN BREAK EVEN??????

Good grief I was even on the session then I snap off AAxx with an Ace in my hand and river 4 pair with the 4th pair being an Ace and he calls me down and bets 1/2 pot at river I'm such a donk and I love to pay off 1 outters obv. Then on the flop i get all in KKT9 on QJx board he had top set and I don't get there. Gotta love how every short stack that calls me when I have AAxx flops a set and I can't get away from it. At some point I have to beat them right? It can't be profitable to set mine with 30BBs? Also does every AA I have, have to flop a JT9ds flop? Come on Stars reboot the RNG

Just got all in AAA3ss v/s 5432ds and KKQD flop AKx turn brings the flush river the case K. Seriously I prob shouldn't be sticking it in with AAAx but I raised and there was a 3 bet and 4 bet so I know no one else has AA and I still have to be a fav KKxx. Obv I was almost even again so Stars doom switches me. Somehow I'm now down 3 buy ins again. Drop another buyin flop a big wrap and CR it and better flats I shove the turn and he calls with the same wrap but an A kicker and wins lol wp sir wp

Just had 2 guys decide to stack off to me in the blinds back to back hands. Guy 3 bets me in the BB pre I flop top pair + 2nd NFD + GS. I CR and he shoves a wrap draw and misses. Next I raise btn and get 3 bet and call. Flop top pair + NFD again on A hi flop and he had KK and gets it in on the flop. AA v/s AA he rivers 2 pair somehow we dont get it all in. Flop full house and split v/s same lol

All rite down another 2.5-3 BIs overall in this morning session. Hopefully tomorrow is better this is -10BI in 24 hours for me. OK won 1 buy in back so now only down $44ish

I don't remember what this hand was just know it was early in my session and I'm too lazy to convert it now.

PokerStars Game #30258101087: Omaha Pot Limit ($0.10/$0.25) - 2009/07/09 3:01:12 ET
Table 'Enif VIII' 6-max Seat #6 is the button
Seat 1: Pokerromo ($28.25 in chips)
Seat 3: AA_GT007 ($110.90 in chips)
Seat 4: sonicreducer ($47.20 in chips)
Seat 5: jackofheartz ($26.85 in chips)
Seat 6: PL8OFGOODIES ($18.55 in chips)
Pokerromo: posts small blind $0.10
AA_GT007: posts big blind $0.25
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to jackofheartz [As Jd Ts 7c]
sonicreducer: folds
jackofheartz: raises $0.60 to $0.85
PL8OFGOODIES: folds
Pokerromo: calls $0.75
AA_GT007: calls $0.60
*** FLOP *** [7d Ad Th]
Pokerromo: checks
AA_GT007: bets $1.75
jackofheartz: raises $5.95 to $7.70
Pokerromo: folds
AA_GT007: calls $5.95
*** TURN *** [7d Ad Th] [Ks]
AA_GT007: bets $17.10
jackofheartz: raises $1.20 to $18.30 and is all-in
AA_GT007: calls $1.20
*** RIVER *** [7d Ad Th Ks] [5s]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
AA_GT007: shows [Kd 6d 4c 4d] (a pair of Kings)
jackofheartz: shows [As Jd Ts 7c] (two pair, Aces and Tens)
jackofheartz collected $52.55 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot $54.55 | Rake $2
Board [7d Ad Th Ks 5s]
Seat 1: Pokerromo (small blind) folded on the Flop
Seat 3: AA_GT007 (big blind) showed [Kd 6d 4c 4d] and lost with a pair of Kings
Seat 4: sonicreducer folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 5: jackofheartz showed [As Jd Ts 7c] and won ($52.55) with two pair, Aces and Tens
Seat 6: PL8OFGOODIES (button) folded before Flop (didn't bet)

ISO someone to discuss PLO hands with or possibly a coach

2009-07-09T00:11:00.002-05:00

Not sure if anyone reads this as its mainly me ranting but if anyone is and is playing PLO I'd like to start discussing hands with someone rather than doing it on the forums. Also if anyone has used a coach lmk cause I'm thinking about getting one but the costs of $150+ an hour is more than I can afford right now.

1st losing day 25PLO

2009-07-08T20:05:00.002-05:00

Down 7 buy ins but I'm not tilted I stayed until I got 1,000 hands in and felt like I was playing good but the coolers were getting pretty unreal and I need to remove the stereo from my GTO tonight. I'm now losing at PLO 25 for the 1st time thats how bad this night was. -175 in 1,000 hands is sick. I flopped the nuts several times and forced to fold. Lost a lot with big hands v/s shorties all on flops. I can think of like 5 hands off the top of my head where I flopped nuts and had to fold. Like I flop nuts straight on KQTr board with a hand like AQJT. Turn is a K pairing the board and putting a flush draw out and the river brings the flush and someone pots it.

I only had 1 hand were I won more than $15 and only 4 where I won more than $10. I had 4 pots where I got stacked, 1 where I lost $21, and 3 other where I lost between $15 and $18.

I'll post the few winning hands cause it won't take long lol
The big pot I won't bother I limp/called 9765ss from LP and flop was 776 and AT65. PFR bets out another EP pots I call hios bet trying to keep the PFR who was short in but he folds and a 4 on the turn we get it in. I somehow hold with my %85 for once.
Next one isn't that interesting either but I was kind of deep I flop middle set and check raise an A95 flop, bet turn and river I make a straight and the guy is a fish so I pot the river hoping he's got something but he folds. Next hand I get AAJ4ds all in v/s QJJ6ss on 863 flop with my overpair and FD. No real interesting wins there.

Now for the losses.
http://www.pokerhand.org/?4454293
This is pretty sick I don't think I'm ever folding any turn card so I should have either shoved or folded the flop. I have top set the only hand that beats me is T8 and I have 2 Ts in my hand. Opponent was 54/15 so he's playing a ton of hands.

http://www.pokerhand.org/?4454306
I raise 8644ss on the btn. BB calls. I flop Q42ds so I have middle set and a weak flush draw. BB has QJ74ss to the 7 and weak leads I pot and he calls. Turn is offsuit 7, he leads again and I pot he calls. Now the pot is $30 and I have 11 behind and the river is another 7. I know I'm in trouble but I can't fold here. Just horrible river as I'm 90% on the turn and he's paying me off on the river most of the time. If not I still scoop a large pot.

This one is questionable and I really wish I had been double suited. http://www.pokerhand.org/?4454321
There is a min raise from a donk and a 3 bet from another weak player. I call with T987ss, another donk 4 bets, original raiser calls, 3 bettor calls and I shove as I'm not calling off 1/3 of my stack and only having 2/3 pot bet for the flop. I think my equity isn't horrible here if they have normal ranges. My biggest fear is someone having my rundown covered. There was 2 trash hands and one guy had AAxxss. My equity was only 19% but there were 5 diamonds out and I had 3 in my hand and 2 players had my flush covered so I lose a lot of equity because of that but a lot of times my draw will be live. But thats what makes it better to be dbl suited though. If you give me 3 spades instead of 3 diamonds I jump up to 26% which makes it break even. Its pretty close if you put 2 sets of AAxx out there I'm actually a favorite 4 handed if my flush is live and 26% if its not. And if someone folds out along the way its even better. You might could argue for a 4 bet pre but I don't think thats great as I can't narrow them down to AA or KK preflop when the 3rd bet was made. I think my play is decent just unlucky here.

I lose a 3 way all in with AA84ss v/s AQT8ss v/s JJ97ss. Flop was AJ4 and the AQT8 had a flush draw. Jacks led out, flush min raises, I 3 bet pot and we got it in from there. Turn blanks river hits his gutshot with a . So thats a $75 pot I lose when I was way ahead on the flop and turn.

4 handed I raise KKT6ss to the T. both blinds call, flop is T42 so I have top pair, weak flush draw, and an over pair. Now I see were 50/50 on the flop. Checks to me I bet, he raises, I pot it and he calls. Turn gives me 2 pair making me about 80/20, river is Kh giving me a set and him the flush.

This one is good. Open in front of me and 1 call I 3 bet pot with AA83ds on the btn, BB calls with 6654ss, raiser folds, caller calls. Flops is Q42ds and we get it in cause he only had a PSB left in his stack.

I limp/call with QJ93 on the btn. Hated calling the raise but I know the blinds are coming and I have the btn. Flop is Kt7 giving me a gut shot straight flush draw and a wrap and one of the blinds had KK which I'm 55/45 ahead of here. Set leads, I shove he calls. Turn pairs the 7 and I'm drawing to the J of spades and miss.

Next biggest loss is my fault. I check raise with 6543ss on a J74 flop he calls with 8677, turn is a J and I try to take him off his hand and bet and he's short and I'm getting like 5:1 on the turn when he shoves but I think I gotta fold. Maybe if he can do it with the dry J sometimes I can call. He just has a bad hand for me here cause he has some of my outs covered.

Anyway I made a couple questionable or badly timed plays. But I easily could have been up 100 today instead of down $175. I was thinking of taking a shot this weekend at $50 NL with 25 BIs and moving down if I dropped 5. obv I won't even entertain that thought now. And now I get to go take the stereo out of my car, rebox and ship it back and hopefully they get the wiring fixed this time so I can listen to my iPod in it next week.

2009-07-06T19:32:00.002-05:00

Running so bad today. Going to get some hands up a little later. Also been 6 tabling cause I found so many juicy tables and its slightly stressed me out lol I had 8 open at one time and had to stop. There were so many good tables I wanted to play tight and watch them and pick the best ones. At the moment I'm down about 2 buy ins but I've gotten my money in really good and getting out drawn. Down 3 buy ins now. I've gotten in good v/s AAxx on the flop or turn and them get there. I've gotten in good with AAxx with a draw and gotten sucked out on many times. I run so bad :-(

Was down 4 buy ins and got a straight flush v/s nut flush for stacks, and all in preflop AA87ss v/s AAxx and flop came 87x and my 2 pair held. Only down 2 buy ins now. OK finished up 2 buy ins. Had a couple big fish that stayed around and dropped several buys in to me to make up for my day. OK posting some hands now. I was hoping to post them in order of how they happened but I'm playing around with Omaha tracker more and learning how to filter and sort and replay hands. I'm just sorting through my biggest wins and biggest losses.

http://www.pokerhand.org/?4446357
OK UTG is playing 98% of his hands and 63% for a raise. He's the uber fish and I took a few buy ins off him tonight. I played a ton of hands cause I had position on him and he was the action guy. I really played too many hands but he was paying off a lot so I felt it was worth getting into some the pot with some marginal hands. This is a great hand though to be calling in position. I flop bottom set, middle pair and a real drawy board and UTG checks so I decide to see where I am with my bottom set and lead out. I get raised by the BB and I shove it in. I can't really call here and I wanted to get the other player out and play it HU. I don't normally play btm set this agro though. Hard for him to have 99 since I hold a 9. I hold an 8 for a blocker if he has JTxx. Turns out he had AAAKss for the flush draw and an over pair.

Here is a hand late in the session. I played it bad and got lucky. http://www.pokerhand.org/?4446386
The hand before this he limps UTG and 3 bets me and I lay it down. I didn't have many hands v/s him at the time. I have AKKQss and raise, 2 calls and he 3 bets I 4 bet and call a shove. He had AAKQss and I flop my 1 outter. Have to get lucky every now and then. I know I get 1 and 2 outed enough lol

Won another big pot with AKKQss v/s KJT7ds when guy 3 bets me pre and flop is KK4 and we get it on the flop.

Here we have the straight flush v/s nut flush for stacks. Any hand where I win big was late in the session cause I was down big early and went on a huge rally.
http://www.pokerhand.org/?4446409

AA87ss v/s AAk3ss weeeeee
http://www.pokerhand.org/?4446414

Got lucky v/s Mr 98% VPIP but I think I'm ahead of his range enough here. I'mdominated by his actual hand but most times I think he has a pair + a draw or 2 pair and I'm not in that bad of shape v/s him cause I've seen him get it in so bad and he's playing every f'ing hand.
http://www.pokerhand.org/?4446419

Now for the losing hands.
I 4 bet AA76 preflop and its 3 ways. Flop is KT5hhx and I have just over 1 PSB left. I think I have to get it in here but I could be wrong. I may post this hand later in the forums. Obv on hte flop he has to stick it in here. But I'm not sure about calling my 4 bet either. I guess since its 3 way pot he might be correct here. I really only need 33% equity when I'm called here I can't see this being a fold unless 2 nits shoved in front of me here.
http://www.pokerhand.org/?4446447

He 3 bets me pretty light here and I have KK and try to take him off a hand. Unfortunately he played rags and flops a full house.
http://www.pokerhand.org/?4446476

AAxxss v/s KKxxds all in on great flop He catches backdoor flush
http://www.pokerhand.org/?4446483

Maybe this is a fold on the turn. Really close imo and I really felt he probably picked up a drwa to go with his pair and I have 2 pair and an over card. Against a pair and a draw I'm gettng odds here as ts about 50/50. If you change the T to a K its 52/48 with him being open ended and the flush draw. I'm crushed if he has a set though but I'm not sure he plays a set like this unless its TTxx and I have a T so its not that likely.
http://www.pokerhand.org/?4446498

Some more AAxx hands where I lost 1/2 a stack v/s shorties with draws I ran pretty bad v/s them today all in on the flop. But I had a winning session over all so I'm pleased.
http://www.pokerhand.org/?4446498

Horrible start -5 BIs but also the biggest pot I've won to date!!!

2009-07-05T15:32:00.004-05:00

This has been a horrible start. Down 4 buy ins already. 1 I gave away though. I had KKxxss v/s a 20% 3 bettor and called his 3 bet pre. I shove with an overpair and flush draw and he had AA and my flush covered. Then I flop nut straight v/s super agro and I CR the flop, turn puts a possible higher straight but I don't think he has it and pot it and he calls. River pairs the board and he insta shove when I check and I call his $20 bet and he had a small set. Just now v/s a med Stack I have 2 over pairs on a TT5 board and he CR me 1/2 his stack and I shove and he had t5xx lol So in 30 minutes I lost 4 days of profits. Gotten tight up and get my head right. Super frustrating to lose that many buy ins so quick on some really unfortunate hands.

The KK hand was me making a move v/s an agro opponent and he just happaned to have a bigger hand for once. I guess I could have folded the 2nd nut straight when the board paired and had he timed down I would have. I really thought he was making a big bluff with the quick bet though.

This is getting worse. Short stacks are picking me apart hitting with weird crap v/s my big hands and everyone is getting huge hands v/s me and I end up paying off but no one is paying me off today.

4 way pot I turn nut straight and check in EP and everyone checks and river pairs and I have to check fold in a huge pot. At some point I have to get a hand to hold up come on. Down 5 buy ins now and fixing to call it a day this is unreal. Just took a couple pots including I raise btn and both blinds call I flop btm 2 and a OESD and get it in v/s top set and get there. Also was able to a couple other med pots. I raised BvB and guy flopped 2nd nut flush v/s my top set and i bet called flop, called turn and rivered the boat and led pot and he called. Good thing I got lucky on the draw there cause if I lost there I'm down 6 buy ins and quitting for the day. Hope I can keep some momentum now and get close to even today. Every paired board today someone has hit and then I turn a huge straight and luckily I only paid off small bets v/s a super agro guy bug stack. I know I'm not supposed to draw on a paired board but usually they don't hit a boat every time.

OK storm is rolling in and I just got up a little thanks to the hand below. Time to call it a day before my internet cuts out.

OK Just saw what happened here. We both turn the nut straight but I'm freerolling a bigger straight and river it for a 500BB pot weeeeeee Just saw that we're 50/50 on the hand. He has 4 outs to a full house and I have 4 outs to the larger straight. Got lucky big time here to not split.
http://www.pokerhand.org/?4441109

AATTds < QJ99ds all in pre yeahs its that kinda day

2009-07-04T19:40:00.002-05:00

Moron gets it all in preflop here. And we both flop sets and he turns quads. So Sick.
http://www.pokerhand.org/?4438110

Just won AAQ9ds v.s AA74ss then got AAxxss 2 times in a row following. Small pot on one and lost small pot on the 3rd.
http://www.pokerhand.org/?4438169

Currently down 2 buy ins. Missing a lot of hands or when I tried to make a move with a pair and a draw + GS I run into top set. Games are really agro but I can't get anything to hit that I can get these super agro 80/40 guys to pay me off with. Really frustrating I'm rarely seeing the turn any more. Definately have some people to add to my fish list though.

Nothing like splitting after getting in with 77% win % for 2 buy in pot.
http://www.pokerhand.org/?4438398

Part of my problem tonight is trying to play too many hands with these maniacs. I can't raise near as often so I'm too passive and I end up limping more and calling raises. Just lost a $30 pot trips v/s trips and I have overs and he rivers a full house with an undercard. OK just got up about $10 and I've played 950ish hands. Time for a break I've been playing almost 4 hours. Pretty happy to be slightly up after that run tonight.

Fri afternoon/night

2009-07-03T17:08:00.003-05:00

The afternoon games have been more agro than they were last night/early morning. I was limping in and playing a lot of pots. Today there is more agression but players still calling off raises with trash and paying off too much so I'm just trying to tighten up and find some spots.

Played mainly fast tables today. I think I started on 2 fast and 2 normal and ended on all fast. Last session I played only regular tables and got in about 54 hands per table per hour. This session with mainly fast games I got about 70 hands per table per hour. I played 435 hands and won $3 so not bad a session but not a good one either.

Not the way I wanted to start a session. Had him on KK but I was still WAY ahead on the flop.
http://www.pokerhand.org/?4434390

Wow I just ran top full house into quads and didn't go broke. I was going to check raise the river but his bet just set off alarms. Still lost a big pot but saved 1/2 a buy in there. WHEW!!!!
http://www.pokerhand.org/?4434620

Doing a night session now. I stack 1 guy very early when I turn the nuts and he can't fold 2 pair and he pays me on the turn check raise and the river. Then I 3 bet AAJxss and get 2 callers. 1 only has 1.5 PSBs left and he leads on a T87 board and I shove to isolate and he had flopped a straight. Probably an easy fold. Then I try to bluff from the BB on w 622 board and the guy had 66xx. Turn was a 2 and he called and checked behind the river when I gave up. So I gave up my early buy in I won lol Hoping tonights games are good and juicy being the weekend and all.

Down about 1.5BIs now running bad and running bad bluffs. Like I raise AAKxss and flop is Kxx all spades and I got the bare As. Or I 3 bet and get 2 calls with AAxxds and make a large flop bet on rags and a solid TAG calls and bets river and I fold.

This got me back in the black. Preflop is marginal but I think post is standard. Biggest PLO pot ever for me. http://www.pokerhand.org/?4435243
Just noticed when I put this in 2 dimes that both of them had bigge flush draws than me and some of my straight outs are dead. But this is really a worst case scenario for my hand. Most times I'm ahead here and its not going to be a 3 way pot either.

Just lost with trips once getting stacked the other losing about 1/2 my stack. 1st one I have position and the guy calls me on the flop and turn and I check behind the river. The 2nd I we were 3 bets to the flop 4 ways and short stack bets out, original 3 bettor calls and I raise it and the 1st raiser preflop who is an agro donk shoves me and I'm committed at that point. Kind of crazy how quick you can win or lose 3 BIs at this game. You hear its swingy but until you experience it you can't imigaine.

This is why its so profitable though lol Now 4 BIs deep at this table If this villian stays here I'll be 5-6 deep hopefully
http://www.pokerhand.org/?4435314

http://www.pokerhand.org/?4435243

Every time I get even some donk catches. Flop mid set and on A hi flop bet get pot raised I call cause there is a possible flush draw out. Turn misses he pots I shove he insta calls and gets there and runs his mouth off at me. Classic. Then he sits out a few orbits and leaves I didn't get a chance to get my money back which is the real shame. :-(

Finished up $20 and 715 hands on that session. On the day +25 and 1150 hands. Pretty good volume for a beginner donk hehe

1st Stars PLO $25 session

2009-07-03T03:21:00.003-05:00

Game is even more passive/weak tonight than the late night $5 and $10 games on Tilt. I ran pretty bad tonight. Got all in on turn with 85% equity and the guy rivers a gutter to split. Guy was a maniac and the pot was $80. He was a 98/41 so he was in every hand. I ended up limping more hands than I'd like cause no one would fold pre but they would pay off if you limped and hit. But of course with this guy in the game we're playing a lot of pots and they were all raised multi way. He got up to almost 3 BIs before donking it off to other players. But when he left there was 2 other bad players with 3 and 2.5 BIs and another LAG with 1.5 so I wasn't too upset cause it was still a good table and I had about 1.5BIs so we were playing pretty deep. But watching the table berate him got bad. Forgot how idiots do that in cash games so much. Of course he was dishing it out just as much but still hate to see a guy leave like that. I'm posting a couple hands below where I think I played good but just got a big beat.

Really good session got up over 3 BIs late but then got coolered a couple times, had 2 pair v/s a top set and river makes me a boat and I bet/fold river in a decent sized pot. Getting to the point I can lay down hands on the river without thinking about it which is good. Just now as I click sit out next blind I raise AT98ss v/s a shorty UTG limp and I flop a wrap and he flops a boat, then I 3 bet AAJxss and get 2 calls. Flop is rags with a weak straight possible and a FD and I get CR big and lay it down. So I finished up only up about $45. Had been up about $80 before that last 1/2 hour. Still I played almost 800 hands and finished up 23BB/100 which isn't bad. Still running good. Obv I was running close to 50BBs 30 minutes ago though lol

Gut shot to split
http://www.pokerhand.org/?4432596

Won the side pot should have shoved the flop. Was only looking at villian's stack and trying to induce a shove but I wasn't as deep as I thought.
http://www.pokerhand.org/?4432599

This is bad pre not sure what I was thinking. Pretty standard but I was sweating after the flop and we got it in here.
http://www.pokerhand.org/?4432627

4 ways 3 of us over 225BBs deep and I flop 2 sets and nothing
http://www.pokerhand.org/?4432642

This is why you can limp/call weak hands at these levels I should never get paid off here
http://www.pokerhand.org/?4432707

And this was a huge cooler v/s a donk who played 81% of his hands. trips v/s trips
http://www.pokerhand.org/?4432713

Ribbo Stox Poker rant

2009-07-03T01:37:00.002-05:00

OMG the only professor they have that has lots of videos and I thought was decent just put me on Life TILT! He's going on about your user name should be more anon and how he can search out players through google and find out if they post on forums and how good they are and how others can do the same.

1st of all how many fish even care?

2nd of all how many players even have the same name on the forums as the poker handles? Its not a lot I'm sure

3rd and most importantly almost all hand converters change the name to Hero and Villian so your identity is still hidden.

Then he goes on about how people in the forums purposely give out so much bad advice to keep players playing badly. Which I'm not saying there might not be a couple people doing it but the majority aren't. And accusing the forums of doing this is just stupid imo. Especially when you are on a training site supposedly helping people improve their play.

Anyway I didn't get any games in tonight I took a nap and got up to watch more videos. One thing I'm learning from all these videos is I'm just going to have to play and putin volume and then take hands I'm unsure of my flop or turn equity and then run those hands, post them in the forums and get some advice. I'm just not seeing any answers to a lot of my questions about certain hand ranges.

I did watch some of the HU LHE videos and even played a few HU SNGs. They took a long time. I was down 5:1 in 2 of them and won both of them. But its not something I think I'd want to play even in cash. Looks to be a huge grind. Wear your mouse out with the constant betting/raising as well lol

Late night games on Stars look good. 2am on Friday morning and at $25PLO there is about 20 6 max tables and 6-8 FR. $50 PLO has about 16 6 max tables and 5 FR. Tempted to get in some play this morning but I may hold off til tomorrow. I need to get back into the Hwang book some more.

Not thrilled with Stox so far

2009-07-02T12:40:00.006-05:00

I'll give them credit for being a lot more low limit PLO vids than Card Runners but I'm really not overly thrilled with them yet. They do seemed aimed at players who've never read a book or played PLO before which is good. But the latest video I tried to watch was from Poker Monkey (Rhys). It was horrible. His 1st video wasn't bad but it was on Poker Room (On Game Network) and was 3-4 handed most of the video. He did an ok job in that one I thought but I didn't really want to watch a 3 handed video so I stopped. The next one he did a review in Omaha Tracker which I thought would be a good idea because he just hi light the hands he played. But he played so bad in that video I just stopped it. He was obv tilting and admitted he might have been tilting in the video. Not saying it doesn't happen to all of us but if you're making a training video why show how badly you were playing? Just saying well I was tilted and shouldn't have played that way doesn't make up for it. There was a hand where he called down a weak pair on a paired board, he 4 bet all in on the turn with a Kd on on a 3 diamond board with Ad. Bluffing the naked nut flush isn't that uncommon but in a low limit game 4 betting it all in against a guy who is a station probably isn't good. Next hand he's min donk leading into the guy who min raises, and Poker Monkey is min 3 betting it back. Really really stupid play and he's saying how he was just toying with the guy or something. IDK I was very unhappy with the quality of play in that video.

I'm going to try to watch a couple more of his videos but if they are anything like the last one I'll just skip his future videos. I still have a couple other instructors to watch and I have a lot of Ribbo's videos to watch as well. I just wanted to check out the other instructors today.

I didn't get to watch any videos last night. It was one of my friend's birthdays and another of our friends was in from out of town so we all got together and smoked some cigars and had some drinks. About 10pm we decided we were hungry and one of our friends is a chef in a resteraunt so we go to grocery store and make some awesome steak and pork tenderloin kabobs. Course by the time we got back and got everything prepared it was midnight before we had the food on the grill lol Luckily we didn't wake up his wife but he had to be at work 4 hours after we left his house. GG sleep lol

Edit:
Watching a MissBanana video now. I know he's doing videos for CR too and I've watched one or two of them there but I really enjoyed his Stox video. He plays a very LAG style in 6 max but does a good job explaining his thinking process and why he's making the plays he's making. I really wish he had more videos here.

Also downloading some HU LHE videos from Bryce. Just because a year or so ago when I was doing some HU NL SNGs and was thinking of going back to LHE I really was curious about his HU style as I've never played HU LHE. So I got the week trial and it will be a good break from PLO vids.

I'm getting real restless and may put in a small session on Stars tonight. Download Omaha Manager and get a real good feel for my stats and using a HUD there as well.

Edit:
Just watched my 1st Onassis video and its so frustrating to watch. He talks so sloooowwww and he acts on the table even slower. I don't think English is his 1st language but I could be wrong. He has a very heavy accent sounds European. But I can handle that if he would speed up his play and his talking. Its like watching a video a in slow motion. Its pretty painful. Watching another Ribbo video where he reviews a students game where the student plays pretty bad. Its ok I guess, kind of humorous but not very educational. I mean its still just 101 Omaha play.

I have no problem with drilling in preflop decisions. Hell The video I've gotten the most use out of was a Brian Towsend video at hgh stakes where he still preaches hand selection and all but he goes more in depth in post flop lines and decisions. And almost every lower limit video just keeps a very basic approach, drill in starting hands and putting in action on the obv boards.

filling up on PLO videos

2009-07-01T12:06:00.003-05:00

The last 5 days I've watched so many videos on Cardrunners. I've stayed away from high stakes games where possible and just watched lower limit videos still trying to cram the basics in. I've got 1 week of Stox now and starting with their beginner videos but I really think I've got a lot of the basic preflop stuff down and quit in the middle of a couple of their videos cause I really feel like I know a lot of the preflop decisions and need more work on post flop. I still feel lost sometimes on my flop decisions. I'm through about 6 videos now and really not impressed with them. They do have a lot of videos and a lot of them seem to be lower stakes. From $25PLO to $100PLO which I do like. Instead of Card runners where there is a lot more high stakes games. The quality of the videos are good but the content seems a little bit lacking so far. I watched 2 of the Robert Williams III videos. I didn't think his video was bad but it wasn't that great either imo. I kind of expected more from him I guess. I think it was probably good if you had never played PLO before and were coming over from Hold Em. But he only has 2 videos on the entire site. I thought he was more of a contributor there.

I watched 2 other videos from who I think is one of the NLHE pros but I can't remember his name now and they seemed to be pretty basic. Nothing really interesting. Watching Ribbio's video now. Has what I believe to be a British accent which is odd if you aren't used to it. I'm going to get used to it today cause he has a bunch of videos and hopefully they are good enough for me to watch them all. The full table video I'm watching he seems to be playing too loose and calling raises but then who am I to say someone is playing bad when I'm just learning the game myself?

I'm also planning on getting Omaha Manager this week. They have a 2 week free trial and I can get a discount through Cardrunners as well. I'd like to use it to analyze some of my previous hands from the last 2 weeks but I'm really planning on watching more videos and reading Jeff Hwang's book more than I focus on playing this week. I want to do some of both to try and use what I've learned from the training but I'm wanting to cram as many videos in this week as possible.

Sunday free for alls

2009-06-28T17:34:00.003-05:00

playing a small session today. 1st big all in I lost was top set v/s top 2. I'm a 91% fav here and he backdoors a flush. Next big pot moron min raises flop with bottom set and I call with a straight draw. I turn the nuts and he shoves the pot and I call and the river pairs the board. Not the start I wanted today. I just lost my 3rd all in on the flop v/s a shorty where I 3 bet AAxx pre and he had less than PSB on the flop. 1 flopped a flush, 1 turned 2 pair, 3rd just rivered a straight. Not big pots just gets really frustrating. Down 3 buy ins and I haven't gotten my money in bad yet.

Down about 4 buy ins now. Every time I raise AAxxss the flop is mono of another suit and I'm getting bet off it. Every run down I raise runs into a paired flop and usually I have no draw at it anyway. Well I won 1 but then dumped it like a donkey. Guy to my left on 2 tables has been giving me a lot of action. I overcall on the button with KJTxds and flop top 2 and a FD+GS and call the bet. Turn puts a possible straight and another draw and I shove him. He had the straight and the 2nd draw and I bricked my flush and gutshot to split. Just got KKxx v/s AAxx BvB and a rag flop and stack off again. This is getting depressing. Its micro limits and I'm running bad and playing not good and losing big here. Currently -5BIs today and overall -7 here and down several at $10PLO as well.

I mat move to Stars and play full ring $10 PLO even though I'm way overrolled for it. Doesn't matter how big my roll if I'm not winning. Calling it a night down 5 BIs. This night sucked. Last hand v/s a competent player at these stakes I get AAK6ss v/s KKJ2ds flop AJTr and he calls turn is a Q and we split. I just can't get a break.

Reading the Jeff Hwang PLO book and its really good. I stopped last night cause I was too tired to take it all in. There is some really in depth reading and studying there on big straight draws and a lot of math. I wanted to be more rested when I re read that section so I can get a better grasp of it.

getting brutal

2009-06-27T18:29:00.005-05:00

Man I'm just running so bad right now. Every time a fish stacks me with a draw out or some horrible play they immediately sit out and leave. I'm losing a lot of big all in pots where I'm 60/40 or 70/30 on the turn. I'm getting into a lot of 3 bet pots pre with great holdings like KQJ9ds and completely wiffing them all.

Here is a hand where the guy has 3 gut shot draws and I've seen him playing bad already. He calls a pot sized shove on the turn with his draw.
http://www.pokerhand.org/?4412618

I'm trying to play enough low stakes on Tilt in the next 2 days to get my 1 week of Stox Poker free. Then I'm probably moving over to Stars and playing $25 PLO and I think I'm going to try full ring cause it will help me adjust to the game some and I can tighten up more. Seems to be a lot of low limit full ring on Stars where there is none on Tilt. I wanted to just play 6 max but most of the books I'm reading are for full ring and it will probably be better if I played full ring to get a better feel for it. IDK if it will help ot not. Can't hurt imo.

Just lost a 4 way all in pot with top set. Was worth about 4 BIs total in the pot. I'm 2:1 fav over the 2nd guy and 2.5:1 over the guy who ends up winning. So brutal. That 1 pot makes up for the last 2 days of running bad had I won it lol :( http://www.pokerhand.org/?4412768

I need less than 100 points now to get my 1 week of Stox so I should be able to get there playing $5 PLO the next 2 days.

Here is another rough hand. I thought I was up against AA and AA or AA and KK here. I still was right in getting it in here but I can't believe the FD and top pair sticks it in here. http://www.pokerhand.org/?4413002

Making a comeback now. Called down a pretty weak top pair hand on a J66x board v/s a maniac and backdoored my nut flush flush. He checks flop, bets turn and I call a pot bet with my draw and he shoves me on the river and I was 90% sure he dind't have the boat. He had a huge stack and was a villian from another hand where he played it super bad. So I made a thin call and was right. He showed a med overpair and worse flush. Next hand I get AT93ss in the BB and he is in the SB and completes. Fop T74r he pots and I float my top pair. Turn 8s giving me top pair and an OESD and he pots again and I call. Since no one raised pre the pot is still pretty small. River is a 6 and he bets and calls my shove. He had AJ53ss for a worse straight.

On another table right after this I misplayed an AAxx hand bad on the turn. I raise AA42 after an EP limps and he calls. Flop is K53 2 hearts and I had the bare Ah. So I have the overpair and andany A, 2, 4, 3, or 6 thats not a heart. I lead out and get 2 calls. Turn is an 8 putting a 2nd flush draw and UTG limper now shoves a pot sized bet. I really thought he was probably on a flush draw with a K and if he had 2 pair I probably wasn't very far behind if I could get it HU because of my 2 pair and straight draw outs. Turns out he had a pair of 8s for a set and I rivered him. I was really off in my analysis and finally got lucky on one. I was due imo.

I'm making some good reads overall and trying to really focus in and people. I've made some nice 3 barrel bluffs where I was sure a guy had a weak top pair and the flush or straight draws came in and I didn't have them but was able to move them off their hands. Wow just took a 300BB pot when guy floats an over pair and turns top set v/s my straight and it holds. E Z game lol

Now I'm back to even. Missing everything and getting drawn out like crazy. I turn top set and get raised and call cause the only hand beating me is if someone called pre with 87 and of course he had called with 8733ss and he's calling every rause and I had to pay him off. Then I raise AAQJss and flop nut straight + NFD bet and 2 calls, turn I bet 2 calls, river pairs the K and I check call a small all in and he had KT so he called down 2 pair and rivers a boat in a big pot. Was up almost 4 BIs at one point tonight. So frustrating. One of my fav donks is back and sits down and donates his stack to me again. Then I flop OESD and call a min raise, turn the straight and there is no flush draw out and flat the min raisers pot bet again and river pairs the board and I've got trips with my straigh tand he pots I call and hehad runner runnered a boat. Previously mentioned donk just stacked me when I raise he calls pre. I flop top pair and he leads a 2 flush flop and I call. I turn trips and he check/calls an 80% pot bet. River brings the flush and I'm getting 3:1 to call and he's likely to bluff a lot so I call and he had a K hi flush. Thats how quickly 2 BIs can disappear in this game. :-( If he stays though I'm sure to get it back.

Wasn't planning on playing this long. I should be close to getting my points for the week of Stox at this rate. Donk keeps playing every hand and I'm raising a lot of his limps and playing pots in position with him. He's winning some small pots and I'm winning the big ones. I raise and get 3 calls with JT97ss. I flop AQ8r and I decide to not try to plow through them and see what the turn brings. Its a K and the action is bet/call in front of me and there is now a club draw on the board. I figure the donk prolly has the flush draw and I'm probably splitting a straight with the guy who led out so I shove hoping to maybe force the draw out. bettor calls and donk caller folds. EP guy had AA for top set and bricks the river. Ending the session up 2 BIs so not horrible. Didn't quite get my FTPs in but I'll get them tomorrow and probabl y buying Omaha Tracker early next week since I plan to move up to $25PLO on Stars. Going to read some more of the Jeff Hwang book now.

Omaha Poker by Bob Ciaffone review

2009-06-26T17:37:00.003-05:00

I'm almost 1/2 way through this book and I'm not overly impressed. I will say for the beginner who has no idea how to play Omaha this might be an ok book. I know its an old version thats been slightly updated but still a lot of it seems out dated so far. Maybe because its dealing with both Limit and Pot Limit games. Also its dealing with full table games where most online games are short handed and more aggressive. Having watched a lot of Omaha videos on Card Runners and reading the forums I've got a much better grasp on the game. I'll update this when I get farther into the book and give more info on it.

OK I just finished this book. If you've never played Omaha before then its probably a good starting point to get a feel for the game and some basic understanding of how its played. If you've read anything/watched videos you'll be bored with this book as it doesn't have much to offer. I skipped some sections of it and its a short book. The internet section at the end really shows how dated the book is. I really enjoyed Lee Jones "Winning Low Limit Hold Em" when I got started in LHE. It was a great book to learn the rules, to learn hands, and to learn basic strategy. I understand Omaha is a much more difficult game. But the basic hand strategy was just using 4 connecting cards. The hand examples were generic and even sometimes using hands submitted from his students had the same card listed in the players hand and on the flop. Which to me makes me think there wasn't a lot of editing or reviewing done on the hands listed.

The student examples I thought were bad too. A player would have a short stack in a lot of the hands listed for internet play instead of a full buy in. He even advocates a player calling off 10% of his stack preflop with a marginal holding which I thought was pretty bad. I really expected to read this book and get something I didn't know from it. I wasn't expecting anything ground breaking but I did expect to walk away knowing more about the game than before I read it and I really felt disappointed.

The other book I bought was Pot-Limit Omaha Poker The Big Play Strategy by Jeff Hwang. He writes for Cardplayer and usually has a column from one of his books every other week. He also has 2 more books on the way out I've heard. One of them deals with short handed internet play as well. If I like this book I'll most certainly get his next 2 books as well.

Starting to hate AAxx in Omaha

2009-06-23T15:37:00.006-05:00

I've had it 6 times in an hour and lost every time. Either I get all in with it on the flop and I'm flipping or worse. Or I'm 120+ BBs deep and I get CR on the flop on a drawy board and have to lay them down. I might have won preflop 1 time with them I don't remember for sure. Running bad ownz lol I did move down to .02/.05 luckily. And now I raise KKQQds and get called down by AAxx. He never raised, calls pre, calls flop, calls all in on turn, sigh.

Almost back to even and ready to call it a session and just lost AA v/s AA when he runner runners 2 pair with his side cards. So sick. Top set gets all in on turn v/s OESD and he gets there. Be nice if when I had AAxx or KKxx I could beat weak hands like KT42 who flop bottom 2 and bet/call flop, weak lead turn and river small enough I know I'm beat but I gotta call. Or better yet could they posibly fold cause I'm such a nit preflop today? Down about 2 BIs so nothing major. Going to take a break and have dinner.

2 orbits into my after dinner session UTG+1 I raise AATxss I get 5 calls and its bet/raiseed coming to me. I really hate Aces. Now I get to lay down KKTxss on the turn v/s shorty moron on a rag board. Thats been the theme all day. I can't get any kind of draw with my huge pairs unles I hit a set on the mother of all drawing boards. Got to keep my cool and tighten up more and I know I'll get back up on the day though.

I might start folding AAxx every time now. Its so sick I raise or 3 bet it get 2 calls and they are betting and raising into me. Either my image is a complete nit which I don't think it is, I'm all of a sudden getting bluffed by everyone, or everyone is running good v/s me today. I tihnk its the latter :-(

Fixing to call it a day Down 3 BIs in no time. Getting frustrated with everyone betting me off every hand. All I'm getting is over pairs and weak draws. I raise QQJ4ss on the btn both blinds call. Flop is JT2 I bet, get check raised and frustation shove and he had KTT9r. :-( Bad shove I know just so tired of getting nothing and getting raised every fucxking hand I play.

And I know I'm not playing great but the 1st couple of days of running good made me feel like I was better than I am. Can't wait for my PLO books to come in. I may lock myself in the house for 3 days and read them all at once. I may open my hands back up I was doing better LAGGing it up than I am trying to nit it up more.

Thats a day. I flop btm set v/s top 2 and he turns a boat after we have 1 PSB left after the flop. I've lost 100 in 2 days at PLO now. I had my roll up to $200 yesterday before I started at .05/.10. I know variance is huge but I dropped 6.5 BIs yesterday and today I've dropped 7 at .02/.05 and I'm done. I may not play again until I get some books and read. Maybe I'll do some 6.50s tomorrow idk.

This is hand to show how bad I'm running and how bad these players are. Unreal this idiot thinks he has anything here. I'm 51% fav pre, and 59% on the flop v/s both, in the sidepot I'm 69%.

Oh well gg and good luck everyone. I'll be back in a day or two. Such a sick game. :-(

http://pokerpetition.com/ Please sign petition and pass it along to your friends. Thanks!

2009-06-23T01:42:00.001-05:00

http://pokerpetition.com/ Please sign petition and pass it along to your friends. Thanks!

Got to get better about folding

2009-06-22T16:18:00.004-05:00

Thats been the big problem today running into the nuts. I've gotten coolered on several hands and run the 2nd nuts into the nuts a couple times. I've run top 2 into slowplayed set of aces just now to add to my agony. The biggest problem has been me holding big hands and knowing I'm beat but not folding. I've CR a bet with AA or KK on the flop and shove the turn and they'll have a small set. Or I'll flop mid set on a KJ9 board and get it all on holding KJJT and convince myself he can't have QT cause I have a T.

I'm down 3 buy ins currently and if I don't do better I'm going to take a break and come back at PLO $5 again and build it back up and make myself start folding again. Not sure why I'm playing sheriff today. Usually I don't do this stupid stuff. But I've had several people calling me down super weak and I convinced myself everyone was doing this today I guess. PLO $10 is definately a lot more agro. I could never drop this many buy ins so quickly cause no one every really play big pots.

Well I ran it back up to only under 2 BIs down and my internet went out for 3+ hours. I came back later and within 10 minutes was up again on the day. Then ran middle set into top set, 2 pair v/s AAxx no redraws all in on flop board pairs, and BvB I flop top set v/s an OESD and I hold 1 of his blockers and I lost all those so I'm back down 3 on the day currently. Luckily one of the worst players is st 2 of my tables with 2 BIs and 6 BIs so hopefully I can get lucky I got big stacks on each. And the over pair guy is still on my right with 3.5 BIs and I got almost 2. SIgh another set over set. This middle set v/s top set is getting old. :-( Lost bottom set v/s a semi wrap draw on turn and I hold a couple blockers again. And my fav donks have left with all my moniez. if I drop1 more buy in and I'm going to have to move back down. This session I was up 2 and currently down 4 so thats a -6 swing. And I don't think I made any bad plays just coolers and suckouts. Coming quickly to moving down. I flop OESD + 2nd NFD, turn straight board pairs river I check call guy had floated flop, floated a turned set and boated on me. Looks like this will do it. I raise QQxx and get 3 bet by T987ds and he flops a small draw and I flop a bigger OESD and he calls off most of his stack on the flop and turns it.

I'll cash out my rakeback tomorrow which should be about $30 and I'm I'm about $145 now so a good night tomorrow at $5 I should be back here in a day or two. Ugh played 1 last orbit and dropped another buy in top pair + OESD v/s overpair + FD. :-( SO the dmage is -6.5 BIs today. Some my fault some running bad. Mainly running bad. I was able to make up most of my bad plays until I got into this bad run.

PLO is fun weeeeeee

2009-06-21T19:19:00.002-05:00

Played 5 hours or so today I guess. Just sat down and grinding it out. Not getting bored or burnt out. I guess cause I'm paying so much attention trying to learn as much as I can/ I won almost 7 buy ins. I'm at $199 on Tilt and my goal was to move up to PLO $10 when I got 20 buy ins. I know its not enough but I've got 40 BIs at Stars for 25PLO so I don't mind playing unrolled on Tilt right now. I'm also trying to play enough to get some free weeks at Stox Poker.

For those that don't know you can play on Tilt and earn free memberships at Card Runners or Stox. I don't have the link handy but you can find it on their sites I'm sure. It doesn't affect rakeback or use your FTP points or anything. You just sign up and if you play enough, 3000 for Stox and 4500 for CR I think, you get a month free. Pretty sweet deal. I won't get enough playing micro stakes for a month but if I can get a week or two from Stox I'll watch everything I can on PLO in that time.

Really enjoying PLO though. Hitting quads like 5 times is great but I never got paid off cause I think it was quad Aces every time on the flop. Anyway tomorrow I'll try my hand at $10 PLO and see how that goes.

low stakes PLO = BINGO? lol

2009-06-20T15:25:00.003-05:00

I ran $10 into $45 last night and ran it back to $10 today so sick. I've heard in a couple videos the CR PLO guys say they never get away from mid set unless there is a huge draw possible. So if you get it in v/s top set its just unlucky. Well I think I've done it 2 in a row today. Couple of morons calling down bottom set and splitting straights with me and me missing almost every draw. :-( Games are a lot more agro today than last night. But last night I usually had 1 agro donk and I was able to take some pots from them and I never got to today. This game really looks to be super swingy.

OK I ran $8 back up to $29 and heading out to have dinner with some friends. Prolly go back to $5PLO at Tilt tomorrow night I've really just been screwing around on AP and there isn't many games and they play 4 handed way too much of the time.

GG Bax 3rd in WSOP Event 35 PLO

2009-06-20T03:18:00.003-05:00

Such a sick river card 3 way all in 3 handed. But I really enjoyed watching this. He and Sorel finished 2 and 3. I played a lil more PLO in the evening won a buy in or so. I'm still calling off the river too weak and probably not raising enough pre.

I'm playing $10 PLO at Absolute cause I had $10 there. I ran it up to about $40 so far. Play here is so bad and I can't sleep and just figured I'd donk it all off. Maybe I can run it up a lil higher tonight. One thing thats diff about AP is the tables allow you to buy in 200BBs deep instead of 100 so game can play deeper. Probably not in my best interest to buy in 200BB deep. I've been reading a lot of people say you should short stack PLO til you figure it out better. IDK I think I'd rather learn it the right way 1st of all. Its why I'm not playing full ring cause I want to play 6 handed. So instead of learning PLO 9 max then learning 6 max I'm just going to try to do it all at once.

PLO anyone? The Durrrr challenge has been sick

2009-06-19T13:00:00.002-05:00

Look on Full Tilt or Google Durrrr challenge if you don't already know about this. They played about 14 hours of 4 tables 200/400 PLO. Absolutely sick. Durrrr started about 200K down I think overall in the challenge. He ended up about 750K. At one point in the session he was up over 1M. I've heard it might have been up as much as 1.3 or 1.4M. He also took a few hundred K off Gus Hansen at the same time but dropped about 500K to Ivey who was on break during a WSOP event and won more in the hour than 1st place payed in his tourny lol And people wonder why he doesn't usually bother with tournaments.

I watched a ton of PLO videos and their sessions yesterday and got up at 8am for some reason and just finished my 1st session at .02/.05. Huge stakes I know. But I only had like $135 in my Tilt account and I think you need like 40 buy ins minimum in PLO. I always heard its 2x whatever you use for Hold Em. Anyway I'm up a little over 4 buy ins. Big rush at the end. I had clicked sit out on my tables when I was up 5 but I ran the 2nd nut straight into the nut straight in a big 3 way pot. I don't have Omaha Tracker so I have no idea how I did on the session BB wise or how many hands I played. I've got 2 PLO books on the way and another here at home but its more of an advanced book and I want to start with basic 101 PLO. I've got enough to play $25 PLO so thats .10/.25 blinds but want to wait until I'm sure I know what I'm doing.

Lot of fun so far though. I made a lot of bad river calls. Probably costs me 2-3 BIs right there where I bet/called rivers that I was pretty sure I was beat but just had to see it. No one ever bluffed me on the river so I should have learned.

Set to brag about

2009-06-17T17:33:00.002-05:00

Now this is a set. 12 games 3 wins, 3 3rds, 1 2nd (This sucked cause I had him down to 2BBs and he won like 10 showdowns in a row), and 2 4ths (Pretty sick I lost a race with 99 v/s A3 when moron calls all in for his life in the BB, other one 2 shorties kept doubling until I ran my Ax into a bigger Ace.

Still profits from that set are about $60ish. Put me up 125 on the day.

Going to take a break and either go to a home game tonight or watch some movies. Also waiting on my PLO books to come in the mail. I'm giving a lot of thought to trying some low stakes PLO when my books come in instead of playing MTTs.

trend continues

2009-06-17T14:31:00.005-05:00

Well this is lovely. I ran QQ into AA on 2 bubbles. And 2 other sick bubbles as well. I just can't get off this cold deck. I kept running my big hands into bigger hands or I lose all my important races right now. I cashed 4 and won only 1. 3 2nds. So f'ing sick. Somehow I'm down 1.5 BIs. But that makes this like 12 or 13 downswing currently over 60 games.

Oh and I finally get the 3.0 software for my iPhone and the damn server has crashed and can't verify it. I run good at life as well obv.

Got the iPhone update and thats the only thing going my way. I lost every race 4 or 5 handed and got set up on more hands than I can count. JJ into QQ 5 handed, AJ into AK, etc etc Once again I only won 1 game HU and thats mainly cause I couldn't win a race. I did have 1 good game where I was down to 1BB 6 handed and 5 handed I worked my way to the CL. I got lucky a couple times where I had A6 v/s AJ he flops J we split a straight. I got AJ v/s 33 and he flops a 3 and the board comes 5 flush and we split. Wow this table is good. I shove A6 called by KQ and I double. Q2 > AQ I got CL 4 handed. And I won a race HU. I ended up winning 3 of 5 which for me right now is a huge upswing lol

Seriously Stars. Can I quit running QQ into AA? Can I possibly win a race? Btn has QQ I have JJ in SB obv. LMAO AQ into AA and QQ!!! Hu I lose A8 to 64o when he flops trips, then he gets JJ v/s my shove with rags, then he sucks out KT v/s AQ lol I wonder what its like to run good? I get into another HU match v/s a nit who wins evrey showdown. He limps almost every pot and if we get to a showdown he's won everything. I've only stay alive by stealing so much. And he wins obv cause I suck HU. I did 14 games that set 2 wins 4 2nds. I'm 6 of 15 HU so far today. I'm winning so I should just shut up. But my last 100 games I've struggled to get wins.

Ahh Raise QQ BB calls K8o. Flop is like T8x 2 hearts I bet he check min raises all his stack river K

Day ends like it began

2009-06-16T23:29:00.002-05:00

I somehow got a couple good streaks after that bad start. I was up $90 after 4 sets today. Then I went to dinner and came back and won 2 of my last 48 games which is sick enough. 8 3rds, 7 2nds 2 wins, and 9 4ths. Up $25 at the end of the day. I was thinking of trying to get another 2 sets in but I'm pretty wiped out after that run. Its hard to run that f'ing bad. I did get to Silver Star today so I can take advantage of the cash for FPPs which is a great deal. I've almost earned enough now for about $30 I think. Not bad for the stakes I'm playing.

My overall ROI now at 437 games is 12.2% I think 15% is easily attainable for me 12 tabling. Maybe even a little higher but I'm not sure. I don't plan to be here more than 1,000 games so I won't know for sure. OK I'm off to watch a movie and see if the new iPhone software has been released.

Worst set ever!!!

2009-06-16T14:56:00.002-05:00

Not an exaggeration this was by far the worst set of SNGs I've ever had. 13 games 3 cashes. 2 9ths and 3 8ths. I rarely go out in 8th or 9th in 1 set myless 5 times in 13 games.

I lost AA to J9s when it hits a gutterball. I lose a med pair to AK on the bubble to a multi tabler who should know he's in 2nd and can't call me there. But I forget regs in the 6.50s are horrible. ran 3 or 4 big pairs into bigger pairs. And my KK never faded the Ax. HU I get A4 v/s A4 and he 4 flushes me. I did come back to win that one somehow. Overall I had 3 cashes 2 wins and a 3rd. Luckily those 2 wins kept it from being a huge disaster I'm only down 3 BIs currently.

Final Table of of $2 8 game mixed event on Stars

2009-06-14T21:02:00.003-05:00

I got bored and wanted to play so I signed up for this thinking I'd be out before the NBA Finals started. I stayed well in the top 20 in the 1st hour or so. Been up and down since. At the final table and Chip leader at the moment. Never played 2-7 triple draw before today either lol.

4 handed I lose the CL. UTG donk min raises I call in SB QTs, Flop is 944 he min bets I shove him and he had K4o. All 4 players are basically even now in the NLHE game. UTG min raises 1 call I call. Flop 943 of my suit I CRAI and he had K9 I brick out. Next hand min raise I shove AKs he calls A9. River 9 obv.

Ran so bad at the home game lol

2009-06-13T23:03:00.002-05:00

What can you do? Bad players you got to put it in good and hope they don't out draw you. Mostly the same group and we played 6 handed winner take all SNG. I was 1st out in game 1. I'm in the blind with J7hh. Flop is 8h7x2h. There is a bet and I raise and get 2 calls. Turn is Ah. I bet pot and get called. River is like 5h. And the guy who bet/called the flop shoves. He's giving me 3:1 or 4:1. I know he can have the Kh or Qh here but I really thought he'd check to me or bet smaller since no one seems to understand betting sizes. He could also be doing it with 2 pair or a set or a smaller flush that came in. I call and he had the Kh. He bet/calls a big raise with 2nd pair and a backdoor draw. Calls again on the turn when its obv I made my flush then gets there on me.

Next game I win a huge pot early from the BB with 73o when I flop 2 pair and turn a boat. And I get crippled 3 handed. I call a small bet on the flop of 9s9c8s with 76. Turn is a T an it goes bet, shove, I reshove and get the 3rd player (my brother) out of the hand. Shover had QT for top pair. Turns a J for his gutter ball. Anyway nice to know I run as bad live as I do online sometimes lol

Home game tonight

2009-06-13T14:46:00.002-05:00

So I thought I'd get 4 sets in today and try to get 50 games in before I went over there. But my 1st 2 sessions were just so brutal I'm taking a break and getting something to eat. I'm up 3 buys through 25 which is good. But my 1st session was 2 2nds, 2 3rds and a lot of tough beats. My next session of 13 I had 10 of 13 games 5 handed at once lol I won 3, 4 3rds, 2 4ths. I really should have cashed more and a couple of those 3rds should have been wins too. Really frustrate with how it ended but I'm up and don't want to be in a bad mood when I go to the game so I'm stopping and getting something to eat. I'm hoping my score holds on the BoP cause I'm borderline on getting any cash this week. Would be a nice bonus for me though.

Overall I'm happy cause my volume isn't where I thought it would be. And I was probably crazy to think I could do that much after not playing for most of the last year. Anyway I have a 14.6 ROI over 337 games. Including like 5 I was forced to sit out cause of Stars software issues. They haven't gotten back to me on that. If you take out the 2 20 tabling days my ROI is 26% over 209 games. Which is high but oh well. My Stars roll is about $825 and when it hit 1.5K I'm going to move up to the 16s and see how I do.

If I can get my roll up to 2K in the next couple of weeks I plan to add MTTs to my nightly schedule. Put 1/2 my roll on Tilt and grind SNGs early on Stars. Then add in some $20/180s, $10 and $20 MTTs on Stars/Tilt and see how I do. I really enjoy MTTs more than anything and I can still play some SNGs while I play the MTTs cause I don't see me playing in 8-10 MTTs at a time. I'm probably going to play some smaller buys in for practice as well but I don't see me grinding the 4.40/180s or the$3 and under MTTs on Stars.

fri nite update

2009-06-12T20:10:00.002-05:00

This will be quick. I had maybe 1 good set today and it was huge. Enough to cover some truly horrid sessions. Overall 75 games +$20. On the week I'm at 300 games +$321. 16% ROI. I'm happy with the results so far with as little volume as I got in and not being able to 20 table like I wanted. I'm unsure if I'll get any more in tonight but I'm leaning towards playing. And I want to get some games in early tomorrow before I go to the home game tomorrow night.

If I'm only going to 12 table in sets I may lean towards moving to the 16Ts when I get around $1500 in my Stars roll. I'm a little over $800 right now. Stats mean nothing right now my sample is so small but 12 tabling I've got about 200 games and +$350 in profits. My 1st 2 days weren't as bad as I thought 20 tabling because TourneyManager had missed a couple of 1st place finishes so I wasn't down but maybe 5-6 buy ins over those 1st hundred games.

What a difference a day makes

2009-06-11T18:51:00.002-05:00

OK I didn't get a lot of volume in yesterday. I think I did 3 sets and was going to do some in the night but the Sox/Yanks were on and T Soprano went for his 2nd bracelet and won it last night. Congrats to that sicko.

Yesterday I did 3 sets of 12. Up roughly $90. lol upswingaments.
Today so far 61 games +$235. 15 wins, 8 2nds, 9 3rds. 53% ITM and 59% ROI. So sick. I don't know how much more I'm getting in tonight cause the Lakers/Magic are on.

Overall 6.50 stats
225 games,
20% ROI,
41.8% ITM.
Profits $293

better start today

2009-06-10T12:56:00.002-05:00

I didn't get up near as early again as I had planned and I may give up trying to change my sleeping schedule. I stayed up last night watching the LO8 event on Bluff. IDK part of it is running bad and I'm frustrated that I can't 20 table like I wanted to so my volume at best will be 100-120 games a day probably. But I'm remembering quick just why I burned out on SNGs. They really quit being fun quick. I haven't put in much volume and I'm already having to force myself to play. The other thing is there are a lot of regs even in the 6.50s. I'm used to that in the 16s or 27s and above but here? Like last set I think I had 3 of the same decent players in every game. Right now I've got 2 PXF subs on almost every table. Thats hurting everyright there. IDK what game would make me want to keep playing but this isn't it. I thought I could make myself grind these but I just can't.

1st set today I cashed 4 and won 3 and was up a couple buy ins.
2nd set I ran into all those PXF subs. 1 table we got 3 handed with me and them. I finished this set 4 wins, a 2nd and a 3rd. Couple horrible beats on the bubble or I think I would have had 2 more wins. Like 5 handed shorty shoves, I shove AA in 2nd place, big stack calls in BB with KTs and rivers a straight. I mean WTF?

After 2 sessions I'm up $71 and slightly up overall at these. I may put in some more volume today and see how its goes. Even this small win streak hasn't done much to make me want to play though. I want to get back to wanting to play poker again DAMNIT!!!!

bad start today

2009-06-09T13:05:00.004-05:00

I did get a couple wins in my 1st session but lots of suckouts and bad calls. The bad calls I've got to learn to adjust their ranges. But I was about break even on my st 20 games then the script regeristed me for more games like its supposed to but Stars lobby locked up and didn't open the games. Then it wouldn't let me access anything in the lobby. I couldn't access any options cause they were greyed out. Had to wait for my others to end, close Stars and reopen it and get back to a short stack on the bubble of 3 or 4 games and bubbled them all. :-(

2nd est wasn't any better. Gotta love the moron who min raises KQo UTG and calls a 20BB shove and gets there v/s my JJ lol I got a ton of 3rds since my AJs can't beat KJs. etc. I flop top 2 and guy turns a gutter, etc 43 games so far and I'm down $26 which isn't that bad for how I've run.

I'm going to re evaluate my goals. I think I'm going to do 12 table sets for the rest of today and maybe tomorrow and analyze a lot more hands. I don't think I'm playing that bad. I really think I'm just running bad. I'm not sucking out often, I'm losing a lot of my dominating hands, and getting in dominated a lot with hands like AJ v/s JJ and QQ v/s KK etc.

UPDATE: Tourney Manager missed a win so I'm actually only down $5 through 44 games today. I'll probably still look at doing 12 or maybe 16 games instead of 20, doing them in sets and spending more time reviewing just until I see better results and get some more confidence in my game again.

Just f'ing sick Every time I get a hand to shove I'm called by a dominating hand. What are the odds? So frustrating. I was actually up at one point this afternoon. OK I just won a couple games in this last set and just went out in 3rd when moron snap calls my UTG shove with T3o and gets there lol These guys are so bad. Overall through about 130 games I'm down 9 BIs. 3 of those cause I was sitting out today still waiting on Stars to get back to me on that. Results are way worse than expected and I'm not getting the volume I hoped for. I really thought I could 20 table with no problems. I still think I might get there just may take a couple weeks. But I may just try 12 table sets and put in more hours if I can get my schedule back to where it needs to be. I know my sample is small and I'm running bad its just so frustrating right now. But thats part of why I want to play higher volume and lower stakes cause the swings should be lower.

Calling it a day waaayy too early :-(

2009-06-08T16:55:00.002-05:00

This was just a bad day all around. So I get the SNG opener to work somewhat reliably for the 6.50s. And ran like complete shit. I ran KK into AA at least 3 times. Overall its not THAT bad. 48 games -3.5 BIs. But not the start I wanted. I kept timing out because of lag on my end too. Folding a ton late sucks. Open folding QQ after I had clicked bet was great too. I bubbled roughly 20% of my games which is an obv sign I was I running bad. Only cashed 35% today and only won 5 of that session. 5 2nds and 7 3rds. 11 4ths. I'm going to stop for the day and put in some time with HHs and SNGPT.

Tomorrow I'm hoping to get up early and get started earlier. My goal if I can get my computer to stop lagging 20 tabling is still 200 games a day.

June Goals
Games: 3000
Profits: $1500
ROI: 15%

Currently
Games: 48 6.50s 21 3.40s
Profits: -$29
ROI: -6.5% (6.50s)

1st day of my summer grinding...not off to a good start

2009-06-08T14:25:00.001-05:00

Well today is off to a bad start. I really wanted to get up early and start playing. I'm still on my work schedule and haven't been able to get to sleep early or get up early. I also stayed up to watch T Soprano beat Daniel N. for a bracelet last night. Congrats Brock.

Anyway I actually woke up really early just thinking about playing. Can't remember the last time I woke up and was excited to get to playing. It was way too early for me so I tried to get some more sleep but I probably should have just gotten up. When I did get up I started to open my 1st set then decided to wait a few minutes and try a couple of AHK scripts for loading games I saw on 2+2. As I tried to download them my internet service went out. Least I wasn't registered in 20 games when it happened.

My goals are probably going to change for the summer as well. My 5 week vacation has been extended to 7. Go back work 2 weeks then another off. Who knows what GM is going to do.

Anyway my current plan is to play no higher than 6.50s until July. I also don't plan to cash out right now at least not unless I have to. In July I want to try moving up to the 16Ts. Probably start 12 tabling and see how I do. I also want to try some small-mid stakes MTTs again. The WSOP action has got me wanting to play them again.

My current goal is still going to be 200 SNGs a day (Obv I might not get there today) at 15% ROI at the 6.50s. I'm happy with anything over 10% since I'll be 20 tabling. In July move to the 16Ts and hopefully be rolled for any MTTs under $20. I plan to use a 100BI rule like I am for SNGs. I'd like to play SNGs during the day and MTTs in the late afternoon and night. I'm not sure how many SNGs I'll be playing at the 16T level. If I step down to 12 tabling I probably can't get much more than 100 a day. I may end up staying at the 6.50s and 20 tabling v/s playing less at the 16Ts I really don't know and haven't thought too much about it. It depends on where I'm making the most per hour and how many grinders are at the 16Ts. I'm not going to try and 20 table with a bunch of other grinders. My game just isn't there yet and its really not that profitable with more than 2 or 3 good regs anyway.

OK 1st set went bad. I tried using this new SNG opener I found on 2+2. It started miscounting the games and ended up registering for me for over 30 games. SO I spent most of the 1st level trying to unreg from the extra games and got sat out on a few tables. I also somehow forgot the 3.40s are non turbos and I hate non turbos. The players were worse than I expected and I ran even worse which makes for a bad session. I cashed 8 of 21 but only had 1 win. 4 2nds and 3 3rds. I play HU a lot better than that even rusty. Just got coolered a lot. Top pair v/s btm set a couple times. I'd flop top set v/s a FD, etc. Only lost like $10 so I can't complain too much. Going to take a break, review a few hands, try to find another SNG opener so I can play the 6.50s in sessions.

good night last night

2009-05-31T15:33:00.002-05:00

Had that small home game last night. We played 2 SNGs winner take all. I got HU in both. Lost a lot of pots in both all in with the best hand. Lost the 1st HU to a 3 outer I think. I won the last HU going runner runner flush so I was up on the night. Overall it was the 1st time in a long time I played and really enjoyed myself.

I'm debating where to start playing though. I've got about 42,000 FTPs at FullTilt. But I don't have a lot of cash on there and would have to start out playing the 3.80s for quite a while to try to get enough built up to move up to the next level. On Stars I've got enough to play the 6.50s already. I prefer Stars but on Tilt I'm wanting to get a 120GB Ipod and clear off all my points. I could do it in a month if I could get Iron and did all my play there. But I think I can do it at Stars and have enough FPPs to get the same Ipod. I may just let my FTPs sit there a while and if I go back to playing any HU games I'll just do it there to try and earn up the points. The reward system at FTP is really bad. I do get rakeback at Tilt though so maybe I should think more about it. But to get Iron level I'd have to play over 100 SNGs a day at Tilt at the 3.80s and this next week will be really hard for me to do that and work. Also I've always had an easier time multi tabling Stars. So I guess I just made my decision but I still want to use my FTPs on something other than lame t-shirts or another FTP Jersey.

Why stepping down in stakes can be +EV

2009-05-30T16:39:00.002-05:00

OK I haven't played in a long time but it doesn't mean I haven't thought a lot about the game. Especially the last couple of months I've taken some time to rehash the last few years of my poker "career". I use that term loosely lol

If you read my last blog post I mentioned I wanted to get to the 6.50s and really put in a ton of volume but not move up regardless of my bankroll right now. Part of it is cause I got plans for the money outside of poker. Partly because I want to start off slow and get myself back into the SNG mindset and at the small stakes my mistakes won't be as noticeable and I can over come them easier because of the bad play and I shouldn't have to table select those games.

Lastly and most importantly for me is the variance. I think I can handle the swings better now than I did over the last year that I played. Losing some huge pots late in MTTs when I was running bad and needed those scores really crushed my spirit when Stevie staked me. And last year in Vegas when once again I got so close to the Main Event seat it took away all my desire to play anymore.

But anyway to get to the point of this. I think for most people playing in smaller games are probably more profitable and less variance than you think. I know as poker players we are always trying to get every little bit of +EV we can. And there's nothing wrong with it if you can handle the swings. But a lot of people can't. They get into a downswing and try to adjust their game. They start to doubt their play or make plays out of frustration and costs themselves more money.

I think sometimes we may be better off to stay out of higher variance games. I know I'd be more willing to pass up small amounts of +EV to play in games where my swings were lower. To me playing in a game where I know I could make a steady profit with smaller swings would be better. Just because I'd be less likely to tilt and enjoy playing more. If I enjoy playing more I'd be more likely to put in more volume, make less mistakes due to tilt, continue grinding out a steady profit, and keep myself in a better mood at and away from the tables.

You really have to find stakes that you can play and feel comfortable about. I think in the past I tried to squeeze out as much profits as I could and played in games where maybe I had an edge but it was smaller than I thought. Add in a bad run and not compensating enough for better players and playing less games because I was busy trying to table select and I bet my edge in those games was minimal. Where if I had stepped down a level I could have played with a bigger edge, less tabling selecting, and gotten in more games and steady profits. But anyway I'm rambling and need to get ready for my game tonight.

good luck at the tables...

Poker game tonight

2009-05-30T15:52:00.002-05:00

Well I wasn't planning on playing until the layoff starts but tonight some guys at work are trying to get a small poker game going. Sounds more like a SNG cause I doubt we get more than 8-10 people and he was talking about a small buy in tournament. Mainly just for fun I guess but I thought it could be fun.

My plan after next week is to get back to grinding small stales SNGs. Probably try 12-16 tabling 3.40s for a couple days to get back in the swing then go back to the 6.50s. I'm hoping to make $2500 over the 5 weeks I'm off at those stakes. I'd like to 20 table but may stop at 16 and play continuously. I'm being optimistic about how much I'll end up playing. I'd like to try and do about 200 games a day. If I can 20 table the 6.50s then Thats roughly 30 games an hour. If I do 3 sets of 2 hours a day with the last set going over until I get to 200 I think I can do it easily enough. Honestly I expect to run close to 15% which is $1 per game which should be roughly $200 a day and I want to play 5-6 days a week. I may do some 1/2 days and go golfing or drinking at night but I'd like to get up and get some morning games in and be able to take some breaks in between each set.

I honestly don't plan to make a move up to the 16Ts during this run. I know I'll be over rolled for it but I'd like to keep playing the 6.50s at Stars for the 5 weeks I'm off and with a higher ROI I should have lower variance and be able to keep up my pace. After this 5 weeks I plan to pull most of my profits off for some projects I've been working on and to cover what my unemployment doesn't while I'm off. After that depending on what my work schedule looks like and what happens with GM I'll decide if I'm going to keep playing.

I'd like to keep playing some every week but there is a rumor that we may start working a lot of over time when we come back from the shutdown and I'm already working 50+ hours a week so playing during the week won't be doable if I work any more hours than I am now but might try to start back up on the weekends.

Also I was sweating Stevie444 and Bax late on Sunday night in tournaments and although neither remembered or responded to me, some of the PXF crew noticed me and asked about me coming back. I don't have any hard feelings with PXF ending my mod status and membership last year cause when I got the new job and had some personal stuff going on I just didn't have time to even log in my less contribute to the forums any more. I don't plan on asking to be a mod again if I do join. I'm not sure how active I'd be if I did sign back up. I guess I should talk to mindwise soon and see what changes have been made.

Looking for backers for World Series of Poker

2009-05-26T13:34:00.001-05:00

OK its WSOP time again. Last year I had a backer put me up in Vegas and try to get myself into the Main Event and if not for a horrid run of cards late the night before the Main Event, I would have my entry. I'm looking for entry into the Main Event from one or more backers or I'm willing to do try the satellite route again if need be. I know this is a long shot but I got nothing to lose by asking. If you are seriously interested send me a message and we can discuss the details.

Thanks,
Dan
Jack of Heartz

Aces are not my friends

2008-12-30T14:28:00.005-06:00

Starting out like yesterday ended. Raise 2 limpers with QQ and JTo calls. Flop J hi he weak leads and calls. Turn bricks he weak leads calls shove. River T. 3 way all in AA vv KK and QQ. KK flops boat. Then I call a shove with AA he had KJs rivers flush. Then I run 88 into AA. A6 < AQ, KJ < AJ. How is it possible to be dominated this many times and never suck out? Ran into AA again luckily I had the big stack. AGAIN I run into AA and bubble. This is crazy. 20 games and 0 suck outs all in. This last bubble was great cause big stack sits out and the other plays fold to shorty every time making me the short stack and its that guy who eliminates me after getting a few walks.

One thing I've noticed besides running like shit is I'm getting blinded down too much. I think I'm going to have to ramp up my aggession and that may mean less tables at a time for a lil while. I may go back to 12 and see how it goes. I went 8 of 20 this time. Take out some beats and let me a race or suckout. Not run into AA 5 times I might have had a winning session.

Next set min raise and a couple calls I shove JJ in lvl 3 obv AA was out there. AQ into AK. 7 handed guy shoves 20BBs UTG and I call QQ he had AK gg me. Myabe thats an easy fold. AK would be an easy fold there and maybe JJ. AJ < QT on bubble. AT < AK. I did turn it around this set and went 12/20 so thats got me break even minus rake today. Going to take a break and come back later. I'll update my stats tonight too.

3rd set. Getting frustrated now and I can see me making some loose calls. I raise AQ in LP btn calls. Flop 884 I lead he shoves and I call. He had an overpair. Should have bet less and planned to fold I guess. I was getting some odds on the flop even with 2 overs if he ever bluffs there. EP raises LP calls I shove JJ on btn. EP tanks and calls LP folds. EP had KTo gg me. Did hit quads 2x this session. Raise KK 2 callsers flop KKT and I get some action. QQ < KK on bubble. So Sick how I'm running. Also lost AJ to 55 on the bubble when moron decides to flip for it. Another 6th where I was in 5th and they fold to shorty shoves getting better than 3:1 and he knocks me out. So frustrating when they play so bad and it costs me here. I bubble another when 2 shorties double or triple up. They sucked out for the most part. Then get a shorty all in 4 ways and he runner runners a flush to cripple my QQ. I did win 13/20 but still should have been much better if I could run decent. I should have won 16 of these I think.

4th set: What a surprise I get short and lose AA to JJ AGAIN!!!! Seriously Stars reset your RNG! Also something glitched at Stars for me and they quit opening games after 10 loaded. Then they quit letting me open the registered in tournaments window so I couldn't even see what I was missing. Finally a suckout. 6 handed I'm in 5th and folded to me in SB I shove and BB wakes up with QQ. I have Kd and flop is 3 diamonds. River is Qd and it takes me a minute to realize I win the hand. 7 handed I lose A6 to AJ when I'm in 2nd place and idiot big stack gambles off his stack with AJo. He's in 1st no chance of losing but he wants to gamble with me again. He called me loose earlier when I was short but thought he'd be folding more. I tihnk it was a good shove though blind were 200/400 and I increase my stack 1/3 with that shove when he folds. Just unlucky. Think I won 11 of 20 that time for a small profit.

Todays Stats:
Games: 80
ROI: 5.8%
Win %: 55.%
Profits: $24

Total Stats:
Games: 291
ROI: 9.0%
Win %: 56.7%
Profits: $136.80

Losing day at the 5.20s?

2008-12-29T11:06:00.008-06:00

OK I'm going to update each session I guess. Helps me vent some. I'll keep a running total of the day at the bottom. I didn't get much sleep last night so I'm shooting for like 120-140 games at most. I won't be upset if I only get in 80-100 if I can get in a nap today lol

Got up early today and got an early start. I was playing before 11am. I should have stayed in bed lol 1st game lvl 1 KK < AA. I meant to play a 20 game set then the KK < AA hand I decided to open 1 more since I hadn't finished loading games. I think I lost my 1st 6 and just felt like it was going to be a bad session. It heated up big time at the end as I won 15 of the 21 games. Ya me!

OK back after a nap and did a 20 game set. Cashed 13/20. Would have been 14 but I had a 3 way showdown where BB had 1 BB and he tripled up crippling me. I had limped behind just to get an extra set of face cards out there hoping to knock him out cause I only had 2BBs at the time.

What is it with me running KK into AA lvl 1? Btn limps, I raise SB and BB 3 bets and I just call. Flop is 9 hi and I check he leads weak and it screamed AA but I raised and called his shove. At this buy in I'm just going broke there 100% of the time. Just ran KK into KK and split. Least he didn't 4 flush me lol. Also seeing a ton of people just open shoving lvl 1 and 2 today.

1st ever break even session. Well I'm slightly up but going 11 of 20 isn't really making much after rake. I just couldn't win showdowns period. 7 handed SB raises 33 i shove 99 he insta calls gg me. I never got hands early, I never built a stack and I never sucked out. :-( Had been a great day until this. I got lucky to get even by cashing like 10 in a row at the end. I really thought this was going to be a huge losing session for me. Killed some stats for me I'm sure as I know I was on a heater.

4th set: Going to be 22 games. Lvl 1 multi tabler raises 1 call 1 reraise and I shove QQ. He snap calls and flop is AKx. Next game lvl 1 I call with JJ and flop is 8 hi and shove a raise and villian had QQ. Next game was marginal. Blinds 25/50 UTG min raises to 100 and gets 4 calls and I shove AQo in the BB. UTG had AK. This is getting bad. I have 10BBs in the SB A9o and btn limps I shove he had 99. I've run into KK at least 2 if not 3 more times and AA once when I had AK. Went 11 of 22 this time so this was a break even session. Couple of really bad sets. I was thinking of moving up to the 10.40s when I got to 75 buy ins but I think I'll wait now until I do have 100 Buy Ins and increase my sample size some. Might delay me a day or two moving up but not much.

5th set: Starting out like last 2. I raise AKs in MP and get called by LP. Flop KT6 I bet get min raise and call. Turn is an Ace putting 2 flush draws out and CRAI he has 66. Think I'm callingit a night after this losing set. This is horrible. Getting no hands and blinded down and then running into monsters. This is really bad. I just ran JJ into QQ 7 handed to get crippled again. Looks like I got 8 out of 21 that set. The last 3 have just gone down hill. Still a decent day but not what I expected after the fast start. Killed my ROI and hourly rates today. But thats the thing about small sample sizes too. IDK I may come back after watching a movie or some TV and try another set. I don't think it has to do with 20 tabling as I'm pretty confident in my decisions today. Just felt like I got cold decked a lot and that happens no matter the game.

6th set: Downswing continues. I won 7 of 20 this time. Thats a huge downswing in these levels. I'm either dominated or losing all my flips when I get all in late. Its ridiculous. LOL 7 handed I shove JJ called by A9o gg me. I'm giving up on the day. Started great and finished like shit. 4 bad sessions. 2 break even followed by 2 losing sessions. Least I got some volume in today and I learned these things aren't variance free either. I actually lost money at these after being up like 12 buy ins. I think I lost 1 buy in overall.

Todays Stats:
Games: 124
ROI: 0.8%
Win %: 52.4%
Profits: $5.20

Total Stats:
Games: 124
ROI: 9.3%
Win %: 57.3%
Profits: $112.80

Getting better

2008-12-28T19:01:00.004-06:00

OK I just finished a 16 game set where I cashed 11 and almost had 12 but I got unlucky and bubbled the last one. I may try to do 1 or 2 more sets tonight I'm not sure. Stars is running a lot better but I'm fixing to have dinner and try to review some threads and some hands so I may not get back in the games tonight.

OK I did a 20 table set that went ok. Cashed 13/20. Had a couple rough bubbles. QQ < KK when I was super short and in 5th place v/s 4th place kinda sucked. Not a lot I can do there though with the blinds rising I wasn't sure I could outlast the other guy and if he doubled I was out. Longest game yet one game was 400/800/80 on the bubble

Todays Stats:
Games: 57
ROI: 21.5%
Win %: 63.2%
Profits: $63.6

Total Stats:
Games: 87
ROI: 23.8%
Win %: 64.4%
Profits: $107.60

starting off bad

2008-12-28T14:39:00.003-06:00

1st set I went 7/12. I might have loosened up too much early but I really got cold decked on a lot of hands. Top 2 v/s weak straight draws that rivered me. Guy limps AA in EP and flops top set and checks. I turn trips and pay him off. Just kept on and on. One guy limp/calls 8x with A8o v/s my KK and turns a straight. I was ahead on the set but not by much.

I started a second set and got 9 games open and Stars quit putting up games. I was having a hard time registering cause either Stars is lagging or my computer is. I just defragged it when I went to bed so I'm not sure cause the computer seems a lil off. But almost every game I tried to reg for I had to click the box for the next tournament cause they will filling too fast. I limp 33 in EP in the 1st game and get min raised by player on my left and call. Flop XX3 I lead 1/2 pot he min raises I call. Turn Ace I check he min bets I raise he shoves I call. obv he had AA. Next game is questionable. 7 left I'm in like 5th place on hte btn. Hi jack big stack opens, small stack in CO shoves for 8BBs I shove JJ to isolate and big stack calls AKo. That has to be a horrible call. shorty had KK. Flop Axx, turn K and I miss my 4 outter on the river. I lose another when I'm short and Btn raises me all on on bubble. I call geting over 2:1 with Q7 v/s his ATs. Flop Q7x turn K river J gg me.

And of course the Bears blew the game today and miss the playoffs.

And was it just me or Stars lagging today? They had over 200,000 people online. I know I've been out of the loop for a while but I never remember numbers like that. But the site seemed really slow today. Going to take a break and come back later.

Todays stats so far (I intend to play more tonight)
Games Played: 21
ROI: 9.9%
Win %: 57.1
Profits: $10.80

Overall Stats
Games Played: 51
ROI: 20.7%
Win %: 62.7
Profits: $54.80

Double or Nothing SNGs

2008-12-28T00:31:00.003-06:00

OK I finally got around to playing some of these tonight. I need to sit down and study hands but tonight I passed on going out to the clubs cause I haven't felt good since we got off work on Tuesday and decided I needed to get my feet wet in these. Had a good start and a great finish where I cashed 9/12 games in that last set.

Overall I played 30 games.

ROI: 28.2%
Win %: 66.7% (Top 5 wins)
Profits: $44.00
Avg time: 29 minutes

I think once I get the hang of these more I could easily 20 table them. Start with 5 games and then continue to add in 5 game sets so that I don't have 12 games on the bubble at once. They seem really soft but its the $5 level obv. And I know I probably ran hot tonight although it doesn't feel that way.

My current goal is to grind these until I have $1,000 then move to the 10s. Not that I feel like I need 100 BIs to play them but I started out with $500 so that will let me get in a lot of games and get a better feel for them before moving up. I'm also reading a lot on 6 max LHE and thinking of getting a Stox membership through FullTilt with my extra points over there. I mean its a year membership or another FTP Jersey. I like my poker jerseys but I think there are better ways to spend those points.

quick update

2008-12-07T21:51:00.003-06:00

OK last weekend didn't go well. I got to play Thanksgiving day but I got sick the rest of the weekend and when I wasn't sick I was talking to this girl I've been trying to date for months now. Things there went well til mid week and thats all I want to say about that lol I played a couple sessions during the week and they went bad. Today I did 50 games at the 3.40s and won $91. My last set of 16 games I cashed 12. My win rate is much lower than I'd like though. I'm running very bad HU.

Ive played 148 games and my ROI is 21.6% which is decent but as bad as I've run HU it could be much higher. My stats are below

Games played 148
ROI 21.6%
ITM 43.9%
1sts: 15
2nds: 29 (Part of the 2nds and 3rds are where I've been able to slip ITM cause of other peoples mistakes on the bubble but its still not good)
3rds: 21
4ths: 13

My roll is now $295 and I think I'm going to try the 5.20 double or nothing SNGs when I start back playing. It may be a week cause I'm trying to work as much OT as possible and I'm working 6 days this week. I know I'm off work 1 month after x-mas and I'm hoping I get to go back after that but I'm not sure if I'll be layed off or not.

Also I played a 5400fpp sat tonight and it didn't go well. I raise AQ and get called by the SB. Flop A hi 2 clubs he check/calls. Turn is another club he checks I check. River is a J of clubs he bets I call figuring he flushed me but no he hit his gut shot and I was quickly down to 1K in chips. I should have folded the end but I was getting like 4:1 to call so I did. With the fast blinds I was down to 10BBs in a hurry. I end up blinding down to 2BBs 5 handed and get a double up in my BB but it left me in last place and short. Agro player on my right shoving me and getting walks from the largest stack sucked. Btn raises and I have to shove in my BB with 88 and no FE and win the race v/s T9o somehow. This put me into 2nd place for the moment but I still end up blinding back to last as no one would knock another out. Finally at 300/600 and 5 handed the SB shoved ATC and got called by AT and 2 aces flop and I won the $215. So overall a really good day for me. :-)

I'm an idiot

2008-11-27T16:15:00.005-06:00

I forgot all about the 3.40 10 man SNGs on Stars. I had my filter set for 9 man games and had been playing the non turbo $3 games when I had been playing. Reading up on the Double or Nothing games now that the rake is a lot lower. Seems the lower limits are juicy. I'm doing ok in the 3.40Ts at the moment. 2 sets of 16 and I'm going to do some more tonight after dinner and maybe donk around in the DoNs at either the $1 or most likely the $5 level. Hand below was kind of funny cause of his chat afterward. He acted like I read his soul or something and to me this was an easy call down when the Ace comes on the turn. The odds he has the Ace are pretty small here imo.

PokerStars Game #22418743354: Tournament #123365594, $3.00+$0.40 Hold'em No Limit - Level IV (50/100) - 2008/11/27 17:11:30 ET
Table '123365594 1' 10-max Seat #3 is the button
Seat 1: cuapiote (1320 in chips)
Seat 2: CccGamble (2035 in chips)
Seat 3: jackofheartz (1400 in chips)
Seat 4: Chozzen1 (3915 in chips)
Seat 7: beat2death (1375 in chips)
Seat 9: slabaki (4955 in chips)
Chozzen1: posts small blind 50
beat2death: posts big blind 100
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to jackofheartz [Qc Qh]
slabaki: folds
cuapiote: folds
CccGamble: folds
jackofheartz: raises 200 to 300
Chozzen1: calls 250
beat2death: folds
*** FLOP *** [Ts Ad 8c]
Chozzen1: checks
jackofheartz: bets 300
Chozzen1: calls 300
*** TURN *** [Ts Ad 8c] [Ah]
Chozzen1: checks
jackofheartz: checks
*** RIVER *** [Ts Ad 8c Ah] [Jh]
Chozzen1: bets 800
jackofheartz: calls 800 and is all-in
*** SHOW DOWN ***
Chozzen1: shows [5s 2s] (a pair of Aces)
jackofheartz: shows [Qc Qh] (two pair, Aces and Queens)
jackofheartz collected 2900 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 2900 | Rake 0
Board [Ts Ad 8c Ah Jh]
Seat 1: cuapiote folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 2: CccGamble folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 3: jackofheartz (button) showed [Qc Qh] and won (2900) with two pair, Aces and Queens
Seat 4: Chozzen1 (small blind) showed [5s 2s] and lost with a pair of Aces
Seat 7: beat2death (big blind) folded before Flop
Seat 9: slabaki folded before Flop (didn't bet)

He says after the hand GC I guess. Then he later says its a sic call.

OK last update on todays stats. I ran horrible especially HU. I think when I get 50 buy ins I'm going to try the 5.20 Double or nothings and see how I like them.

Games played 82
ROI 13%
Profits $36.20
1st: 7
2nd: 18 (Yes I ran that bad HU)
3rd: 8
4th: 8 (Donks call lighter than I thought on bubble today)

Jackal69 SNG Vids at Card Runners

2008-11-27T13:38:00.002-06:00

I haven't had a chance to play much the last couple of weeks. Lots of rumors at work about an upcoming lay off that may cost me my job I'm not sure. So I've been trying to get in as many hours as possible.

Anyway I've started watching this 10 part SNG video series from Jackal69 at Card Runners. He's also written a SNG book but I haven't gotten it yet. His video series seems kind of basic but since I haven't played in a while I figure its good to reinforce the basics. For beginning players I think this is an excellent series. It doesn't appear to be as math based as a lot of Sheets videos I saw at PXF but the math really confuses beginning players imo.

I think this weekend I'm going to play some 9 man 6.50Ts. I'm under rolled for them but I can deposit some more if need be so I'm going to 6 table them until I can get 50+ BIs then try to move up to 12-16 games. I'm still thinking about the 6 max SNGs but I feel I need to do more work to get comfortable in them though. I hope to put in a lot of volume this weekend as I don't have any plans for Thanksgiving other than a dinner on Friday night with my dad. So hopefully I can get in a lot of games and work some of the rust off my SNG game. If this layoff does come and jobs are getting even harder to find I may be back to grinding micro SNGs again.

6 max SNGs?

2008-11-16T22:32:00.002-06:00

OK I've tried these before with little success but I never really put much effort in them. I went from them to HU games and never went back. But I ran across Jhub's blog again and I remember hearing how soft the 6 max SNGs were there. And since I'm not playing for a paycheck anymore I've really thought about these tonight. I'll have to put in a lot of SNGPT/SNG Wiz work not only because my SNG game is rusty but 6 max SNGs are a different animal. I won't be able to play 16 games at a time either but I think thats fine. It will definately help keep me from getting burned out of them. Nothings definite and I'm working 6 days and probably 9 or 10 hours a day so if I play this week it won't be much. But I may try to play just a few games at a time at some micro stakes 6 max games and then review every game until I get a feel for them.

Back to 9 man SNGs

2008-11-16T18:02:00.002-06:00

OK I had plans of playing more this week but a lot of stuff went on at work and I just didn't play any. I did get some games in this weekend at the 3.40s and multi tabled them. Broke even on the day I think after about 40 games. Had a great start and a horrible finish to get back down to even. I have just over 50 buy ins for these and I'm going to grind them until I get enough for 50 buy ins for the 6.50 turbos. From there I'll want at least 75 buy ins before going back to the 16Ts which used to be home.

I may decide to grind 6.50s until I have the roll for some micro stakes 6 max LHE. I'm not sure what direction I want to head in and I'm going to keep my options open. I've thought about grinding 16Ts and playing $25 and under MTTs. Mainly cause I have fun playing MTTs and I can be profitable in them. But my work schedule will make it hard to play many games outside of cash and SNGs so I may go over to 6 max cash games. Timing will be hard on playing these games cause I work during prime time and I don't want poker to turn back into a grind for me. I want to still enjoy playing the game so we'll wait and see what works best for me.

Back in the game again

2008-11-09T15:20:00.002-06:00

I decided this week to start playing some low stakes HU games. Today was my 1st day playing the 6.25s on Stars and I've run like complete shit. 0-4 in my 1st 4 games. Everyone is back dooring flushes on me, I'm losing all my all in races and my pairs can't beat Ax, and I just lost another 96 to 76 on a 6 hi board all in on flop, when I turn 2 pair and he rivers straight. Not exactly how I thought my return to poker was going to start out lol

This is getting sick as every moron with a gutshot is getting all in and getting there. I'm running 2 pair into higher 2 pair. I finished the day 11/13 so I dropped a few buy ins but I felt pretty good about my play. I know I've got a lot of rust to get through but I ran really bad today as well.

I run bad at life sometimes

2008-08-26T12:27:00.002-05:00

OK I did pretty Sunday at Steps but didn't play more than 15 total. But put me up for the weekend.

Yesterday I take the GTO into the shop for oil change and tire rotation. They found my back tires were fixing to blow out and the alignment was out bad. I guess from hitting the tire on the interstate screwed up the rear alignment and was eating in the inside of my tires. I thought I could get a set of tires for around $400 for the set but they called back today and its going to be around $650 for the set of tires. I'm glad they found the tires when they did cause they probably wouldn't last a week longer if that but the timing is horrible. I think I'm going to have to cash out 1 if not both of my main poker accounts and then try to make a deposit in a month or so when I get some free cash. :(

Why do I run so bad?

2008-08-23T16:39:00.004-05:00

I guess next weekend is my last run at Steps since WCOOP will be going and I'm glad. I just lost KK to A8 to bubble another Step 4. I had him covered easily and he insta calls. Flop is T8x 3 spades and I have Ks, turn is a red Ace and I brick river obv. SO far I have 2 Step 3 wins and 4 3rds, Step 4s 2 wins, 1 4th, 2 5ths. Other than me hitting quads with TT v/s JJ BvB I've run as bad as I normally do in these things. Either getting coolered or sucked out on. I almost forgot about losing to 2 3 outers 3 handed to the same moron on the bubble of a Step 3.

Work seems to be going well though and prob after WCOOP starts I'm going to go back to LHE again and prob some NL HU SNGs as well.

f'ing steps

2008-08-17T16:51:00.004-05:00

I played about 12 of them yesterday and ran horrible in the 3s but did decent in the 4s and was up about 100 on the day. Today started off great and was up about 700 and only 700 down overall in them. Then I bubble a 4 AA < JJ which is a recurring theme in them. Then I lose KK to AJ 6 handed in another Step 4. I've bubbled a couple other 3s with dominating hands cracked. I'm really frustrated with how f'ing bad I've run overall in these Steps with the play so horrible. If I get back to even in these Im through with them. I'd rather not leave my backer in a hole in them if possible.

Looks like I'm finishing down on the day after being up really good. I just got bubbled in 3 straight games SB v/s BB with BB having AA every time. In Step 3s I won 5 of 9 and cashed 3 others for repeats but went 0-11 after that and only cashed 4 of them for repeats. I finished them up $9.

Step 4s I played 12 won 4 and 2 repeats. Lots of 5ths and 6ths where I sucked out on or coolered as usual. My next to last game was really weird. We get 4 handed and the guy starts calling shoves with 73o etc. He sucked out a couple times and got the big stack with a player having like 3 BBs and he finally busted. Not sure if he wanted the cash or what. It was very bizzarre. I finished down in these but not much and almost even overall today I guess.

Also having trouble finding small amounts of W$ to buy. Everyone wants to sell blocks of 500 and 1K.

And the job is going ok. Looks like physically its very easy. Just take a lil time to get used to each of the 8 stations there and its a lot of visual inspection. Co workers seem pretty cool. Few nice looking chicks helps out as well. :-) I will be working nights though and its Mon - Fri so I only get Sat and Sun to play any poker so maybe I can play enough to keep myself interested and shouldn't have to worry about burning myself out either.

Work/concert updates no poker updates

2008-08-12T19:01:00.003-05:00

OK I haven't played any steps since Fri night. Went on a canoe trip Sat and got completely trashed there. Spent most of Sunday trying to recover from the bruises from falling out of a canoe 25 times and jumping out of trees at 20+ feet. 1st day of work was Monday and this week appears to just be classroom crap.

Went to 3rd and Lindsley last night in Nashville to see Joe Purdy in concert. Chris Seefried of Low Stars and formerly of Joe 90 opened the show. Followed by Jay Nash. Purdy played in both of their sets and did some back up vocals. Meiko played 3rd. I'm not a huge fan of her music but you gotta give credit to a cute southern brunette who writes/plays her own songs, prefers Bud Lite to imported beer, and curses as much as I do. Her stories on stage were pretty cool. Then Joe Purdy finished off the set. This was easily one of the best shows I've been to. The venue was absolutely perfect. Small bar, all the tables are close to the stage, drinks and food are good and not too expensive for nashville. I got home and got 3 hours of sleep before my 2nd day of work. Was the longest day ever as I had to keep drinking Sundops and energy drinks to not fall asleep while the HR manager droned on and on.

Also gl to Hutch who's in the final 10 in Borgata. glgl sir.

New job + more step madness

2008-08-08T21:01:00.002-05:00

OK I got the job at the factory which is good but also my buddies got contacted for references but they weren't list for this job so its got to be another job I'm in the running for but I have no idea who.

Ran good at Step 3s to start off. Won 4 of my 1st 7 with repeats in the other 3 but never won another the rest of the night. Cashed in 16 of 21 though and was up in them. Down in Step 4s but I only played 9 and had 1 cash where 2 complete idiots kept doubling each other up to keep me from getting a win. I was down in them but only a few buy ins.

New Job?

2008-08-06T16:40:00.002-05:00

OK I got a phone call today and I got to go take a physical test for the place where my lil bro works. If I get the job it will probably be night shift after 2 weeks but the thing that sucks is that I just bought tickets for Joe Purdy in Nashville on Monday night. I put the tix on my credit card and got them set to pick up at the will call office. Prob is if I don't go then none of my friends can get the tickets. I'm not sure I can just give them my credit card and them get the tix. And I really want to go to this concert. Lil bro said the 1st week is sitting through training classes so I might be able to go and drink a ton of energy drinks on Tuesday to stay awake.

wed update

2008-08-06T14:02:00.002-05:00

This starts off well. Step 3 7 handed UTG raises I 3 bet AA UTG+1, he calls. Flop Kxx 2 spades and he open shoves AsKx. Turn and river are spades. Just got a 4th in a Step 4 when I was uber short 5 handed and UTG raised, big stack shoves 32s and sucks out on the JJ. Followed that with a 5th in a Step 3 when KK < AT. 4th in another Step 4 AA < JJ when he catches running diamonds. In a step 3 3 handed and the 3rd stack who is equal to my stack is disconnected and we;re blinding off. He just came back then disconnected and got another 2 minutes on his time bank. If he comes back to win I'm going on life tilt LOL! OK I won that and take 9th in the next Step 4 TT < AK v/s johnster. OK I took a break here and don't remember a lot of the action but I didn't run great afterward. Also I did a blog post about the new job, at least I hope I pass the test tomorrow and get on there. Not the best job in the world but its a paycheck and gets me out of the house lol. Jeez 4 handed I shove T8s into BB from SB and he calls 44 for amost all his chips and flop is 44x. GG me. This after he gave me a speech earlier about folding AKo pre to my shove 6 handed. So much for having respect for my game I guess. This was great my 2ns AA < JJ on bubble. This time he flops OESD and I'm out. truly gross. I was up on the day til that. Not down much but I should be up over 800 if my Aces hold both times.

Not sure how much I like these Step 3s. With the turbo structure its really hectic in them and maybe I'm not getting enough chips early idk but the bubble 6 handed seems big and it seems like I'm just getting 5 handed without enough chips to fight for top 2 places. The blinds are so high 5 handed you don't really have a lot of time to be patient.

Overall today
Step 3s - 13 played 4 wins, 6 repeats.
Step 4s - 8 played, 1 win and 5 4ths.

More step maddness

2008-08-05T15:36:00.004-05:00

OK got the green light to add some Step 3s today. These are super soft but they are turbos. Top 5 pay, 3-5 repeat and 1-2 advance to step 4. Started off well today winning 3 of my 1st 4 and bubbled 2 of my 1st 5. Both I got in ahead and lost.

Totals on the night
Step 4s 12 played 6 wins, 2 4ths, 3 5ths, 1 8th.
Step 3s 10 played 1 win, 4 3rds-5ths, 4 6ths and a 7th.

The last game of the night I finished 4th in one of the sickest endings I've had. There is 1 giant stack and 3 of us short. There was a BvB where SB had 2BBs and shoved 96 and beat 62. I split AK v/s A2. Prob jinxed myself cause I pressed timebank cause I wanted a second to think about it and not just snap call. I lose A8 to AQ to get to 1BB. Then I win A3 > T3 to dbl. Get a walk with 2BBs, BB has under 2BBs and folds to my shove, shorty wins 72 > AJ river 7, then UTG shoves AJo and I call QQ. Flop J, turn J and gg me in 4th. I win that hand its over. Course if the AJ had won, the AK had won, or any of the other AI hands I get the win. Pretty sick ending.

Starting off better today but ended up the same...

2008-08-04T15:09:00.002-05:00

Last night I ended up cashing my last 5 steps. 2 wins and 3 4ths though but 2 of the 4ths I got in dominating and they sucked out. Got another win 1st off today and then finished 6th when I ran AT into AA btn v/s BB. Followed that with another win thanks to AA v/s KK and I flop an Ace 6 handed to get to 2nd place in chips. Then I go out 6th in the next one when I shove 10BBs in EP with JJ and SB makes a horrific call with KJo and flops KK8 and gg me. Go to lunch come back and 6th 99 < AQo. I go out 4th 99 < A6, and 5th A6 < J9 after dumping 15BBs to pwnasaurus earlier in the match KK < AA. Then I lose AK to 99 and I'm losing on the day now and prob calling it quits.

Won 3 and 4th in 9 games so that makes 4 losing days and apparently everyone else who grinds these are killing them so I obv suck at these. I got like 7 BIs left on the stake we'll see how tomorrow goes.

More steps

2008-08-03T13:52:00.002-05:00

OK I'm doing game by game updates here so I can vent. lol

I'm really disliking the steps cause they play so horrible and I run even worse. Game 1 I lose AK to KJ, AJ to K9, and 5 handed I shove 13BBs A5 and BB wakes up with 99. Flop is X42 giving me the draw, turn 9 and river blanked. Next I lose AQ to JJ and A8 to 86 for 6th. 4th after moron calls a shove with ATo 4 handed v/s CL when he was 3rd place and won the race and then his 73 beats my Q4 when he rivers a gutshot straight. Next a 5th when I shove AQ and get called by TT by CL. Finally get a win. Then next game I win AA v/s KQ 5 handed. Next I got short and bubbled in 5th again.

Finally a break. 5 handed I have 8BBs and shove SB with A3. Obv BB has JJ and I catch running 3s to dbl through and cripple him. I got the win there. Next game 6 handed KK < 55 river 5. Then the blinds went up as they came to me 2 hands later so I went from a 30BB stack to 12. Had a feeling my KK was no good when we got it in there though. Figured I was racing AJ or something. No spots afterward and I blinded off to 4BBs and shove 55 UTG and lost to AJo.

Next game I just got no spots and blinded down. Ran 55 into 88 6 handed. 5 handed I run AT into AQ and bubble. JJ < AQ 7 handed btn v/s BB when he shoves my blind. OMG i got a win?!?! Follow that up with a 4th when I shove J8s in SB and BB insta calls 66 for his life and I flop a GS and miss everything. Wow 5 handed I have like 6BBs and shove TT UTG 4th place calls with KK and I flop T! Then I get walk with AA in BB :-( 4 handed QQ < ATo.

Just found out cradshark_ is a PXF sub that I've been running into. Just took anther win. Day is starting to look up a lil. Also been able to net almost $100 by buying W$. OK in my last game now we're 5 handed and big stack has dbled both shorties A9 <> K9 and I'm back to 4th. Folded down to 2BBs trying to get a hand or hope someone blows up and had to call all in Q8s in BB v.s 44 and flop 883 v/s 3rd place. I have a small lead on him now. Shove Q9 he calls K2 flop AKT, turn Q. I'm down to under 1BB. I gte a split in 3 way pot. QQ in SB 2 limps to me and BB checks. board comes 4865A and I'm out. I hate my life.

Totals on the day:
Games: 17
Wins: 4
4ths: 4
5ths: 5
6ths: 3
7-9s: 1

Only bright spot is I cashed all 5 of my last games. But 3 of them were 4ths and 2 were suckouts to cripple me.

And an update on the coaching site. They claim that the application I filled out listed that the hourly rate they pay coaches is $15/hr. I don't see that in the copy that was e-mailed to me and I definitely wouldn't have signed up for that rate. That's horrible since they are charging $50/hr. Them making 2/3 of the fee for hosting a website and advertising is really a joke. Especially since they are wanting coaches logged in for several hour a day waiting to get a student to pick the coach for a session. It might be different if someone could just schedule an appointment. Still wouldn't make their payments fair imo.

f'ing Steps

2008-08-02T21:49:00.001-05:00

So far only 7 have gone off that I could get in and it hasn't been good. Only down 2.5 buy ins today. 2 4ths, 2 5ths, finally a win in the last game. 2nd game of the day I'm tied for 2nd and shove JJ and get insta called by AJ and he hits an A to cripple me and I take 4th. Then I run AQ into QQ and A6 into KJo. 5 handed LAG to my right opens 4x QJo and I shove TT with no FE but I was sure I was ahead of his range and I only had like 7BBs left. Maybe it was a mistake but I felt I had to make a move somewhere cause the blinds were going to cripple me. Obv QJ won.

The final hand is below is classic. Guy who shoves has raised every hand since we got 4 handed which is only 2-3 hands but still. He'd been pretty tight and now he's a maniac. LOL

Poker Stars, $200 + $15 NL Hold'em Tournament, 75/150 Blinds, 4 Players
LeggoPoker.com - Hand History Converter

BTN: 5,009

Hero (SB): 1,755

BB: 2,429

UTG: 4,307

Pre-Flop: (225) 2 T dealt to Hero (SB)
UTG raises to 450, 2 folds, BB raises to 2,429 and is All-In, UTG calls 1,979

Flop: (4,933) Q 6 5 (2 Players - 1 is All-In)

Turn: (4,933) Q (2 Players - 1 is All-In)

River: (4,933) 3 (2 Players - 1 is All-In)

Results: 4,933 Pot
BB showed 2 J (a pair of Queens) and LOST (-2,429 NET)
UTG showed K A (a pair of Queens) and WON 4,933 (+2,504 NET)

Step 4s really suck

2008-08-02T13:50:00.002-05:00

Man I played these yesterday and won 2 and cashed in 4th in 1 out of 12 games. The games pay top 4 and I cash 3 of 12 lol. Pretty sick. I went 10 games to get a win. Plugging the structure into SNG Wiz and its amazing how big a nit you are supposed to be in these things. I'm probably going to start reviewing all my games in it that I get deep. I played 12 in 10 hours yesterday so I wasn't slammed with them and more went off in the afternoon than at night. I'm down about 6.5 buy ins already so I need to run good the next couple of days to get back to even.

Here were the bustouts yesterday.
5 handed Q9 < JJ SB v/s BB I bubble
8 handed I shove btn K9 run into KQ, then 22 into 88
6 handed AK < QJ. Flop was K52, turn Q, river J
4 handed I call a min raise in the BB KQ and flop is Q hi we get it in and he had AQ. he had been min raising often and folded to a couple of shoves so I'm not sure I was ever folding pre here and thats prob a mistake though. I believe this tournament we were 5 or 6 handed when I got all in AJ v/s K9 and flop an Ace and we split with a runner runner straight comes.
6 handed KK < A5 but I was short stacked and he raised and I had no FE.
6 handed A8 < AJ SB v/s BB
7 handed A7 < KJ a couple orbits earlier I shove a btn raiser with AQ and he insta calls KQ and flops an OESD and crippled me
7 handed 88 < TT btn v/s BB
8 handed 77 < 86s couple orbits earlier I raise SB v/s BB AJ v/s K9 flop J turn K
5 handed I shove a constant raiser with AQ he calls AT board comes 874 J 9
I then went on to win the next 2 but had a close scare as the big stack 4 handed I lost KK to AKs and became the 3rd place stack and v short but managed to get the win.

finally played some tonight

2008-07-31T20:07:00.003-05:00

Well I've been talking a lot of poker this week and watching some PXF videos. No action on the job front and other than scouting sites and sending out resumes I haven't been busy so I've tried to enjoy my time this week as I know I may not have a lot of it soon. Anyway I've been talking over hands with Stevie and a couple other guys from PXF and watching the lastest Bax videos as well.

I'm still waiting for the coaching site to come online and when it does I'll link it here. At the moment I've had no updates other than they hoped to go live today or tomorrow and their ads would be on Sharkscope Aug 1st. I played some $11 HU SNGs today and did ok. Didn't play a lot and I'm probably going to play some more tonight but they were so soft. I think I went 6-4 in my 1st 10 games and easily could have been 82 or 9-1. They were really bad players. Also I'm going to start playing some Step 4s on stake as well. Currently only the ones to Event 6. It pays 3 seats to the $530 and 4th gets $210 so its a $5 loss. Shouldn't be that hard imo to have a 50% or better cash rate in these and they should be lower variance as well. We'll see how it goes with them but I'm excited to try them out.

quick update

2008-07-24T02:31:00.002-05:00

OK I haven't done an update since I haven't played online since I got back from Vegas. Part of it is I just don't have the desire to play right now. I'm not sure what it is and I wish I knew. Maybe its burnout. Part of it is I've been busy with resumes, interviews, phone interviews, etc. Nothing's panned out yet but my stress level is getting higher every day I go through another interview. I stopped by and talked to my old boss today to try to get a letter of recommendation and I think he's going to write one for me. I really wanted to have a chance to talk to him but he was busy so I didn't get to talk long. But hopefully if he knows of any openings he'll give me a call. I may have a chance at a job where my lil bro works. Not a great job but its something. Would at least get me back in the job market but the pay and hours aren't great.

I somehow crashed my PT databases and have been rebuilding it somewhat on my LHE datamined games. I'm still datamining the games but not sure when I'm going to play again. I'm leaning towards grinding some low limit HU SNGs again just to get myself playing again. Maybe if I start playing I'll get back into the rythm of it. Anyway updates will prolly be scarece until I get things sorted out.

LHE here I come

2008-07-13T22:40:00.002-05:00

OK hopefully I can get the will power to get off my ass and play starting Monday. I got 1 of my LHE DVDs in this weekend. it was the shorthanded from Dave Fromm. I thought it was just ok. I'm used to the PXF and Cardrunners videos where they profile a session instead of generic hand examples. And his video is based on some live play where HU there is no cap and he's suggesting putting in 5 or 6 bets on hands which would never happen online on most sites. I started rewatching a lot of low stakes 6 max videos on CR as well.

I'm thinking of trying to play some LHE HU SNGs as well. I know I used to play some NL HU SNGs this year and did pretty well and eventually just seem to hit a wall and can't get past it. And LHE SNGs don't run that much either but HU LHE has a lower rake than 6 max but obv you can't multi table it as easy. Also from looking at FullTilt's lobby tonight I haven't seen a ton of LHE HU going on. Peak hours it may be different as its almostmidnight on the east coast right now.

Anyway wanted to let everyone know I was alive, I did get out of Phoenix but just barely. And I adjusted to Vegas more than I thought. I got out the airport at like 1am and it was 85 degrees and I was cold. LOL! I've been freezing my ass off all week in this non 110+ weather.

leaving Las Vegas???

2008-07-08T16:37:00.001-05:00

Man I hope so. I get to the airport way too early because check out was 11am and my flight was like 3.30 pm. I didn't want to be lugging my suitcase arund Vegas and figured I'd get here early, have lunch and chill out at the bar or whatever. Well I get here but can't check in for my flight more than 4 hours early but I can print my boarding passes. I wait about 30 minutes and then go to check in but my flight to Phoenix has been canceled. Now it would make sense to just let me take the next Nashville flight they have an open seat on. There are like 4 more Nashville flights today but the reason I chose the Phoenix layover was because it was a lot cheaper. Anyway they schedule me for a flight that lands in Phoenix about 10 minutes before my Phoenix flight departs and told me they would hold the plane for me. Now as bad as my luck has been this week I have no expectations of that plane being there and I fully expect to stay in Phoenix tonight. I also got stopped by security at the airport screening because my laptop was out of the case like it was supposed to be but not in a bin by itself so my laptop and bag had to be searched.I've also walked about all of the terminals here in Vegas as my original flight was at one end and my new flight at the very other end of the terminal. Like the 50 miles I walked the last week weren't enough I needed to get a couple more in today I guess. I think I finally lost some weight though between the heat and the walking so thats a good thing. And free wireless internet at the airport is cool too. I was fully expecting to have to pay for internet here. No electrical outlets handy though so once my battery dies I'm back to reading a book and trying to stay awake waiting a few more hours for my flight.So I hope to be land in Nashville around 1am today. I wouldn't be surprised if I have to spend the night in Phoenix which may be ok if I know ahead of time I can call a couple friends in Phoenix and at least go out to dinner with them. I'm so exhausted right now and when I get home I'm going to sleep for at least a day before getting out of bed and doing anything else. lolI was expecting a phone call from the last job interview I had but they haven't called today so maybe I hear from them tomorrow. They had said I would hear from them today if I was still in consideration though so we'll see what happens. I'm still on the list for a couple other new jobs they are creating in the coming months as well.Anyway this should be the last update from Vegas. Its starting to feel like the Hotel California. You can check out anytime you like but you can never leave...

its all over now baby blue

2008-07-06T03:03:00.000-05:00

OK well today got off to a bad start and it really sums up my 3 years of trying to make the WSOP main event. My plan today was to play the 4pm and 9pm satellites. I stop at the Rio to eat because I had 2 hours before the tournament started and evrey tournament has been running registration 1 hour into the event. I get down there about 90 minutes before the start and there is a huge line. I get near the front and they announce registration is closed for the 4pm tournament because they don't have enough tables to let anyone else in. If they had allowed 1 more table I would have been in the tournament. I wait 20-30 minutes for them to make the official announcement and I'm out of luck. They tell us if we want to play any other tournaments that night to register right then. So I get back in line to register for the 9pm event. Only to get to the front of the line and told I can't register for 3 more hours because they haven't opened registration for that event even though the tournament director announced that we could register for all events. I storm off and walk around the casino a while and meet up with Moki who decides to go back and see if we can get in and for some reason we can now register for the 9pm event. Which is fine. We sign up and meet Marco and go over to Casa Fuente for a cigar and a mojito since we have 4+ hours to kill. We come back and there is almost 300 players in the event and 28 seats to the main event are going out. I really liked my table as it was full of fish. I raise 3 times in the 1st level and all 3 times I get 2-3 callers and they donk the flop into me and I had to fold. Level 2 old man to my right in the SB raises my BB and I call with A9. Flops K8x he bets I raise thinking he's on a steal and he quickly calls. Turn is a K and he checks and I check behind thinking he must have something to call the flop and he probably isn't folding the turn. River is a 9 and he quickly bets and I call and he shows T8o and I've got back my chips I lost in level 1. Next hand of interest I get TT in LP and an agro donk in MP raises again and I flat but then the SB flats too which kind of scared me but I know he's been wanting to get chips from this guy and could be calling light. Flop comes T85 all clubs and the SB leads out for pot, MP calls and I tank and decide to shove. I don't want to see a club on the turn and have to give up on my set and both players think a while then fold. SB tells me later he had the flush draw and overs. This gave me about 13,000 in chips and we started with 6,000. I go to break with about 12,000 and in very good shape. There are about 190 players remaining at this point. We go to break and come back and things quickly go south. About 20 minutes before break a very agro kid comes in to my right raising a lot of pots. He raises UTG and I 3 bet AKs and then a shorty in the BB shoves me but his bet is only 2x my bet so I have an easy call. He shows KK and flop comes with the case K and I double him. I'm now down to about 8,000 chips and blinds went up a couple hands later. I now had about 15 blinds. I get QQ UTG+1 and same agro player raises UTG again and I think a minute and shove. He tanks and counts down his stack 3 times and starts to move it in then backs up and thinks about it. I really thought he was calling but after about 3 minutes he folds. About 5 hands later I get 77 in the BB. UTG+1 older Italian guy who had been playing kind of tight limps, then the btn limps, the SB limps. Now I have about 19 blinds but there are 5 blinds in there and I shove trying to take it down there and UTG+1 snap calls and when everyone folds he shows JJ and I'm out. Its been a good run. I don't regret any of my plays as I feel I played as well as I ever have live. My reads were spot on, I played a tight agressive game just got unlucky in a few key pots when I needed to get lucky. Since I didn't get to play the 4pm sat today I think I'm going across the street to Caesar's and play the Mega Stack event there tomorrow. Slow structure, huge stacks, and it should be a fun tournament to kill some time tomorrow so maybe I won't be thinking about the main event.

Fri night think i'm going to puke

2008-07-05T00:12:00.002-05:00

Man what a sick night. I'm playing my A game. I mean I'm getting a couple hands but I'm playing great. Had a weird hand in lvl 2. I've been a lil looser than usual but haven't been to showdown yet and haven't been that out of line. Raise KK UTG and get 3 bet. I milk it a while and look him over and I 4 bet 1/2 my stack with the intention of shoving any flop that doesn't have an Ace. If an Ace falls I can't get away from my hand but I'll check and maybe he'll bluff if he doesn't have an Ace thinking I'll fold. Flop is horrible QJx 2 diamonds. I stall a minute cause I hate this flop. His flat call really made me think AK, QQ, JJ. And now I only beat 2 of those hands so I should have check/called I think but I go ahead and shove cause I don't think he's folding AQ or KQ to me here. He insta folded so I'm guessing he had AK.

A couple orbits later I raise TT UTG+2 and the BB calls. Flop T54 and he checks. I look him over and announce check. Turn is a 4 giving me the boat but putting a flush draw on board. He checks and I bet out the same as flop bet and he insta calls me. River is a 5 double pairing the board and making the flush. He thinks a minute and checks. I just sit there shaking my head and shuffling chips. I just didn't know what he could have that could pay me off. If I thought he had a 5 or 4 I'd make a large bet but I'm sure he doesn't have either. But I think he might pay me off with a flush if I make it a smallish bet. So I finally throw out some chips about 1/2 pot I think but I did it looking angry and hoping maybe he'd think I was really weak and he did. He calls QTo. End of level 3 I have about 14,000 and we started with 4,000.

Just after break my table breaks and I'm moved to a table thats not going to break until the end of the tournament. Now I've been at least 2x average since we started level 2. Right where I wanted to be. I stayed there most of the night. On my new table I played the most bizarre hand ever. I'm in seat 1 to the left of the dealer which I hate because they keep the muck right there and its hard to follow action from seats 8-10. The hand here is against the player in the 10 seat who obv can't see my actions any better than his. I raise QQ UTG and get 2 calls. Flop is 998 (2 spades) I have about 8,000 left and the pot is 6,000. Any raise I make commits me to the hand. I bet out 5,500 and caller 1 thinks a while and mucks but player 2 insta calls me. Turn bricks off. Caller 2 is in the BB and IDK what he's thinking. Maybe he thought I was all in on the flop. He flips over his hand Ks5s. I can't help but smile as the entire table is bursting out in laughter. The dealer tells him the hand isn't over I have chips. The kid apologized and flips his cards back over and announces he checks. Now the pot is close to 20,000 chips and I have about 2,500 left. In no way can I push him off a flush draw. He's getting almost 10:1 to call. He probably has to call with almost any pair here. I sit there a minute and announce I'm all in. Now he goes into the tank and everyone just gets silent. B/c we know his hand, we know he has to call but somehow he doesn't. Moron at the table starts to announce He's only got $2,500. Luckily I had a great dealer and he instantly interupts the player and tells him he's not in the hand, he's not allowed to comment on the hand. So he gets quiet and the kids throws his hand away. Now I'm a favorite there but he still had a 1 in 4 chance of snapping me off there. I really felt when he folded and I was now about 3x the average that I was in great shape.

Fast forward to next break. We started the tournament with 320 players. We're playing for 15 seats and at break I'm 2x the average stack and we've got less than 80 players remaining. Blinds go up when we return but I've got about 25BBs in my stack. I watch a couple big stacks implode. Biggest stack at the table raises AK UTG and the btn min 3 bets him. Everyone knows this guy has AA except the UTG player who shoves his AKo and gets crippled. He easily could have gotten away from his AK as he was CL at the table and this was the only guy who could hurt him so the guy had to have a major hand to get in v/s the chip leader. Next orbit another big stack raises UTG with ATo and the tightest player at the table shoves. This guy hadn't played a hand in an hour he had been at the table. Of course AT calls and gets crippled. Now we're down to about 65 players. I raise AJs UTG and get shoved by the BB. I throw my hand away not needing to gamble and he shows me AK. Good fold me. Next orbit I raise AJ again in MP and the guy with AA in the last hand 3 bets me. I fold again and he shows me AA. Good fold me again. I think I raised AJ in LP a 3rd time and folded to a shove and was shown AA. So now all my good folds have costs me about 1/3 of my stack. My raises were fine as no one was playing back at me without a huge hand and all 3 times a nit showed me a hand.

Now the blinds go up in my BB and there are 50 players remaining. With the blind increase I'm about average but I only have 11BBs. Folds to the SB who shoves me with 8BBs. Now if he has any clue what he's doing he should be shoving me with any 2 cards here. I would shove there blind had the situation been reversed. Anyway I call with you guessed it AJ. He had AQ. GG me. I'm literally sick right now. I've come closer to a seat than this before but this really hurt. Last year I came in 3rd place on back to back days for a WSOP seat and the 2nd day was AA < QQ for 80% of the chips in play. But to play for 4+ hours tonight and probably playing the best live poker I've ever played to just get cooler late is a kick in the nuts.

I've got a couple more tournaments tomorrow to try to get into the last day of the event. There is a nice view from my balcony and it has a 100 foot drop. I'm standing out here right now debating the jump off of it.....

quick Friday update

2008-07-04T15:37:00.004-05:00

quick update here. Got up early and played the 10am $550 sat but bested before 1st break. I never got hands and got trapped into several pots. I called in the BB with AK early against a crazy Asian player. Flop is QJx I check/call the flop with 2 overs and a gutshot + backdoor flush draw. We check down and he shows a small pair. I probably should have led out on the river but I didn't think he would fold a Q or a J so I just gave up. A little later I raise 88 in middle position and absented minded BB finally decides to call. Flop is AAQr and looks like a good flop for me so when he checks I lead out about 3/4 pot and he thinks and shoves me but he has so few chips I have to call knowing I'm probably behind. He shows AJo and had flopped trips. So now I've got about 10BBs left and go through the blinds and now I'm realy short. I'm looking for a spot to shove before the blinds come back because it was almost time for break. I didn't want to wait through break as a small stack with the antes coming in and leaving me even shorter. I get 5 trash hands in a row and can't shove anyone and get QJs in the BB. My plan was to shove preflop and take my chances. Unfortunately 3 guys limp in front of me and I knew I couldn't fold all of them out so I check and take a look at the flop. Its KJx and I check with the intention of getting all in on this flop. Middle position guy bets out and I call he had limped KK and I was basically drawing dead.

I'm planning on playing the $550 today at 4pm. Also I'm playing the 4pm tomorrow afternoon. I'll play an $1100 sat but not sure when. If I bust out of the 4pm early it may be tonight or if I run deep in the 4pm I'll do it tomorrow night. Worst case I'll get up and play the Sunday 8am last chance satellite.

Someone was asking who all I had seen while I was here in Vegas. Off the top of my head (I know I'm leaving off a lot of people I should be remembering but I'm drawing a blank on some of them) the list is:

Barry Greinstein
Gavin Smith
Daniel Negreanu
Mike Matusow
Ted Forrest
Joe Hachem
Chris Moneymaker
Greg Raymer
Annette15
Jean Roberte (Guy from Survivor)
David Sklansky
Doyle Brunson

From cardrunners.com
Mike Schneider (Schneids)
Taylor Caby (Green Plastic)
Andrew Wiggins (Muddy Water)
Brian Towsend

Vegas update #1

2008-07-04T00:23:00.000-05:00

OK landed in Vegas and was dead tired. I hadn’t slept much the last 2 days because of job interviews. Last interview went great but once again I don’t have all the training they’d like me to have so I’m not holding my breath on any of them. Hooked up with Moki and he took me on a tour of a couple of the casinos. The tournament room in the RIO is massive. If you’ve ever watched the WSOP coverage on ESPN you’ve seen the room but its so much bigger in person. It has 2,000 people playing poker in it, not to mention the dealers, tournament staff, reporters, friends standing around the tables. Its just amazing. We spent the night at Casa Fuente smoking/drinking late into the night. Then I had a party to attend back at the Rio for Cardplayers.com. I got there late but the party was still going strong. I finally left around 4am after having spent several hours talking poker and strategy with one of Cardrunners top pros. Overall though I’m not all that impressed with Vegas. Its so damn hot. Its over 110 degrees and the locals tell me its cooler now than the last couple of weeks when it was around 120. And man its so expensive to get around town. Cab rides are $5 for the 1st mile and $2.50 a mile after that. And the Rio where the tournaments are isn’t close enough to walk to anything so I have to cab to get there every day or walk ½ a mile to another Harrah’s properties to try and catch the shuttle which runs every 30 minutes. But they start late and shut down earlier than is convenient for me. The city looks nice especially at night when it’s all lit up but between the heat, the crowds, and the prices I’m just not as excited about it as I thought I would be. But anyway today was my 1st day in a tournament. Played the afternoon $550 buy in event which payed out 1 out of 20 a seat. Below is part of what I typed up as a trip report on another site and I’m lazy and just cut/paste it here. Today Moki and I played the 4pm sat. I was a card rack in the 1st 3 levels. AA 2x, AK 2x, KK once. I was still at my starting stack nearing 1st break even after getting paid off a couple times. A couple very loose agro guys either 3 bet me pre, or CRAI on flops. I had only shown down AK once and AA 2x. Those were my only showdowns so I look like a complete nit. Blinds are going up and I have about 11BBs. 3 guys limp and I shove A7s and everyone folds. Next hand I get KK on the btn. 1 limp, I raise, SB shoves and I call he had 53o and doubled me up. At 1st break I'm 2.5x the starting stack and somewhat above average.Get back from break and I get KK but no action when I 3 bet. I kept slowly chipping up but the blinds are rising and most people are getting below 10BB stacks. LP agro kid with 12BBs raises and I shove TT he had KK and cripples me with 150 left. I steal once or twice and then just sit back playing the waiting game as I had enough chips to wait. I get 88 UTG and shove and moron on the button calls all in with 44 and doubled me back up again. Next orbit blinds go up and I'm down to about 6BBs. I shove K7s UTG+1 and get 2 calls behind me. One guy had A9s and the other AQo. Flop comes T98 giving me the straight and flush draws. Turn is a 6 giving me the straight, but the river is a J giving AQ the 3 outter and eliminated me with about 110 players left and top 20 get a seat in the Main Event. I win that hand and I was back above average at a very weak table. I blame it on Moki busting out cause after he stopped by my table to tell me he was going to dinner I ran horrible. lol Hopefully we both have better luck tomorrow. Also not sure how much I'll get to update as my cell connection here through my laptop is really bad. I'll do what I can but not sure I can do daily updates but obv if I get a seat or something huge happens I'll do my best to get it up on here.

And congrats to Schneids from Cardrunners on his undefeated streak in beer pong. That was the best performance in the sport I've ever seen. Too bad he can't go pro in beer pong. LOL

1st day of the rest of my life

2008-07-02T05:09:00.002-05:00

OK 2 interviews yesterday instead of 1. As I was getting ready to leave for my 1st interview I got another phone call requesting an interview. 1st interview was good but the pay isn't worth the drive but the work is easy and its only 3 days a week Mon-Wed so it is kind of tempting cause it would leave my weekends open. 2nd interview I had applied a month ago for supervisor and they kept me on file and they had a Quality Control opening. I don't have the CMM programming experience they want but I can learn it quickly so if they don't find the candidate they want I think I got the job. I couldn't sleep last night and I'm heading to my 3rd interview in a couple hours for the IT Tech Support job. Then off to the airport where I hopefully make my flight. I don't think it will be a problem though.

Its going to be a long day. I didn't get a lot of sleep before my interviews yesterday. Then I met my dad and went out for a couple drinks, came home packed and tried to sleep. I got a few hours of sleep before I woke up and couldn't get back to sleep. Drinking a 5 hour energy drink right now and had an early breakfast. Watching Rounders for about the 100th time for inspiration. LOL!

Anyway I woke up this morning and immediately the 1st thing in my head was I either make it or I don't. So I guess this week is it really. I mean I really thought I wanted to get a job and just play on the side. But this morning when I woke up I didn't want to go back to work I just wanted to get to the tables and play. I got a good feeling about this trip. I'm going to go out, have a good time with some friends, play my sats and hope things fall my way. There should be plenty of dead money out there so if I run good I think I'll be in the Main Event. But whatever you know. I know I'm rambling here, nerves I guess. Anyway wish me luck. Vegas here I come.

Stupid Turbo Takedown

2008-06-29T15:50:00.002-05:00

So I didn't know what time this thing started and slept in and woke up 5 minutes before it started. Not bad I thought least I got up in time. Played a couple pots early and lost 500 of my 3K stack. I get JJ UTG+1 and make it 300 donk behind me makes it 800 and I decide to gambool a bit and flat call and get it in on any non Ace flop. Flop comes T22 he bets out 1/2 pot and calls my shove with AJo. Turn is an Ace obv. wp sir. AJ ownz. gg me.

Anyway I sent an e-mail back for the 2nd job interview asking if there was any way we could do it Tuesday morning and if not I asked to get the earliest spot they had on Wednesday. If I can get the Wed interview at 9am and I can get out before 10am. I should be able to get to the airport with time to spare as Southwest always has a long line and their terminal is at the end of the airport.

Another interview

2008-06-29T00:38:00.003-05:00

I swear I must have put a note on my resumes saying I'm flying to Vegas on the 2nd please schedule all interviews for the 2nd and 3rd. I've got an interview either on the 1st or the 2nd for another company doing IT work. The prob is Tuesday I have an interview at 3pm and the other job is 2 hours away from the 1st interview. So there is probably no way I can schedule both on Tuesday. I might be able to do the 2nd interview before my flight on Wednesday if I can get it as early as possible as its on the way to the airport.

Anyway there is also a cardrunners party w/open bar and free food Wed night when I arrive but the beat is I got a 10am sat the next morning. So I'll have to use some moderation so I can get up in time to make the event.

Job interview the day I'm leaving town?

2008-06-28T18:48:00.002-05:00

That's my luck lol! I got a phone call yesterday wanting to set up an interview for Wednesday which is the day I'm leaving town. Usually you get a call and they say they'd like to interview you on a certain day and ask if that's ok with you. I got a message saying we have you set for an interview on Wednesday please call to confirm. I tried to get it set for Monday but that didn't work but I did get it pushed to Tuesday afternoon. Better than nothing I guess and I probably wasn't going to get much done Tuesday anyway. Hoping it goes well though cause it will take a lot of pressure off me in Vegas and I can just focus on my game.

Been watching a ton of videos lately and not playing much at all. Watching the brsavage satellite videos on PXF and a lot of the 6 max LHE videos on Cardrunners. I know the 2 don't seem to have much in common but when I come back I think I'm going to focus on 6 max LHE. Schneids and KPR on cardrunners have some great videos though IMO. Also I used my fpps a last week to order the Professional Hold Em videos from Ed Miller and I can't think of the guy's name who did the short handed LHE DVDs but I got his coming in as well. Stars as usual is right on the ball. Might give me something to watch on my way out to Vegas if I decide to use my laptop.

Most likely I'll grab a couple books to bring along. I'm debating about bringing poker books or bringing some fiction or something to read so I'm not just thinking poker the whole time I'm there. I'll be nervous enough going in I'm sure cause I haven't played live in like 18 months.

Vegas trip

2008-06-24T18:50:00.002-05:00

OK so I'll be flying into Vegas on July 2nd coming back on the 8th. I'll be playing 6 sats to the Main event. The 2 $550s each day of the 3rd-5th. Hopefully I'll be playing the Main event on the 6th. Wish me luck. :-)

I'm hoping to meet up with some CFers but I'm not sure anything is scheduled. I'll try to make some updated here while I'm in Vegas if I can.

WSOP offer

2008-06-23T01:23:00.003-05:00

Well tonight a guy I know who is in Vegas trying to sat his way in to the ME and playing a couple smaller events offered to back me for 1/3 of the event. Now I just gotta find someone to put up the other 2/3 :-(. I may try to go and just sat my way into the event through some Super Sats as I've never been to Vegas before and would love to say I've been. Obv I get this message just before I was going to bed so now I won't be sleeping tonight LOL!

end of stake?

2008-06-20T22:32:00.002-05:00

Well my stake runs out tomorrow and I prob won't get to play any on it cause it ends tomorrow afternoon so I put in a huge session of 89 games tonight. Most I've ever played without a break. Finished down -108 which isn't horrible but the session went pretty bad. Morons calling 12BBs shoves on the bubble with QJo and getting there, last hand of the night 4 handed moron (he just called 1/2 his stack 1 orbit earlier with 98 when I shoved the btn) min raises, dave_wII I think his handle is who has been in all my games today it seems shoves and I'm in last place with 4BBs and I shove QQ and moron calls with AK. dave had 99 and flop comes with a 9 and I'm out.

Overall on the stake I played 463 27Ts and 6 38s and finished down 205.50. Which sucks but I really ran bad over a couple hundred hands in there. Somehow SNG Luck Analyzer said my luck was dead even tonight but I really don't see how unless I sucked out on a lot of people with out knowing it. I only won HU about 1/3 of the time which is about standard for me during this run as I can't seem to run good HU. I had QQ-AA a ton today and somehow got paid off with them rather well so that was nice for a change.

On the job front I sent out a ton of resumes the last 2 days and going to the Career Center to apply for a few jobs Monday too. Not sure what limits I'm going to be playing but I'm leaning towards the 12Ts at Full Tilt and maybe playing some HU SNGs again too.

I also used my FPPs to get the DVD sets from Ed Miller and one of the other Stox poker guys on LHE. Not sure how profitable LHE is these days but it used to be my bread and butter and I'd love to be able to start playing it profitably again since I suck so much at NLHE cash.

back after a couple days off

2008-06-19T22:46:00.002-05:00

OK I took a couple days off. Was out of town yesterday and heading down the interstate at about 80mph there is a tire in the middle of my lane and an 18 wheeler beside me so the only thing I could do was try to center my car over the tire and hit it dead on. Damage wasn't bad enough for me to turn in on my insurance but probably run me a couple hundred to get it fixed. I've got one of the new model GTOs. I got some scratches on the bottom of the bumper and it busted my lower grill and popped my passenger side bumper out of place but I think its an easy fix. But to replace the grill I have to take the entire bumper off. I could probably go without the grill but I'd prefer to have it on there in case I ever hit another tire on the interstate. I got to really spend some time cleaning it up cause the front end is covered in rubber and tar where I hit it and jumped over the thing. Luckily it somehow didn't damage the rear bumped when it flew up out from under the car though.

Anyway played a few sessions today was up about 170. I think I'm even through almost 400 games at the 27Ts on this stake and down about 100 at the 38s but its like 6-8 games played there. Anyway I gotta get up early to place some calls on repairing my car so I'm calling it a early night.

another shitty day

2008-06-16T22:32:00.002-05:00

I'm really starting to think Stars dislikes me. I have never beaten the 27Ts in my life yet done pretty well at the 6.50s and 16Ts. I can run good at one and move to the 27Ts and instantly run bad its unreal. Today 67 games and -$211. Of course my luck today was -192. So over the last 5 days my "luck" has been -950 and my results only -860 so I'm doing something right but still this really sucks. Basically over my last 250 games I'm -35 buy ins cause I run bad.

I got a couple PMs for the link to SNG Luck Analyzer. The link is below. http://www.jukofyork.com/Juks_BackTestAllInLuck_v1_02b.rar

Run at the Steps

2008-06-15T16:03:00.002-05:00

Well I ran a Step 2 with my FPPs today and won it. Won a 3, and a 4. Got to 5 and was completely card dead. 6 spots pay 7 left and LP raises I shove TT and he had QQ. Flop T82 and the turn is 9 river J and I'm out 7th. :-(

PokerStars Game #18159870061: Tournament #92191947 $670+$30 Hold'em No Limit - Level V (75/150) - 2008/06/15 - 17:02:25 (ET)
Table '92191947 1' 9-max Seat #2 is the button
Seat 1: nkd1972 (1405 in chips)
Seat 2: jackofheartz (830 in chips)
Seat 3: TXTyphoon (3475 in chips)
Seat 4: stevie444 (1795 in chips)
Seat 6: busto_soon (3300 in chips)
Seat 8: QuasiFiction (1355 in chips)
Seat 9: morrow25 (1340 in chips)
TXTyphoon: posts small blind 75
stevie444: posts big blind 150

Holecards:
Dealt to jackofheartz [ ]
FOLD busto_soon
FOLD QuasiFiction
FOLD morrow25
RAISE nkd1972, 600 to 750
RAISE jackofheartz , 80 to 830 and is all-in
FOLD TXTyphoon
FOLD stevie444
CALL nkd1972, 80

Flop:
[ ]

Turn:
[ ] [ ]

River:
[ ] [ ]

Showdown:
nkd1972: shows [ ] (a straight Eight to Queen)
jackofheartz : shows [ ] (three of a kind Tens)
nkd1972 collected 1885 from pot

SUMMARY:
Total pot 1885 | Rake 0

Board:
[ ]
Seat 1: nkd1972 showed [ ] and won (1885) with a straight Eight to Queen
Seat 2: jackofheartz (button) showed [ ] and lost with three of a kind Tens
Seat 3: TXTyphoon (small blind) folded before Flop
Seat 4: stevie444 (big blind) folded before Flop
Seat 6: busto_soon folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 8: QuasiFiction folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 9: morrow25 folded before Flop (didn't bet)

scratch that winning session

2008-06-14T22:54:00.002-05:00

That went into the tank in a hurry. Bubbling like 8 of 25 didn't help. Losing JJ to K8, and a couple other 60/40s on the bubble killed my day pretty quick. I just ran SNG Luck Analyzer (i know I'm using it all the damn time now) but my luck at the 27Ts on the week is -659 but my actual earnings is about $45. So had I run even I'd be up 700 on the week. so sick.

finally a winning session today

2008-06-14T15:48:00.004-05:00

OK this is a short update. The Mattu bet is off as well for those who were asking. I did a 50 games session still ran bad but least made a small profit. My luck over the last 3 days is -$500. really hoping that turns around. I'm hoping to get in another session tonight but I'm not sure I will. If I do it will probably be a short session like 2 sets of 12 or something.

Also wanted to post this hand cause it was kind of interesting. Not sure if its a great call or not but he had been very agro and had just min raised and when everyone folded he showed AA so I took QQ+ out of his range.

PokerStars Game #18136081518: Tournament #92066595 $25+$2 Hold'em No Limit - Level VI (100/200) - 2008/06/14 - 16:38:51 (ET)
Table '92066595 1' 9-max Seat #3 is the button
Seat 2: letaj (1670 in chips)
Seat 3: mtg38skopok2 (6112 in chips)
Seat 4: jackofheartz (2920 in chips)
Seat 9: .ReloaÐ. (2798 in chips)
jackofheartz : posts small blind 100
.ReloaÐ.: posts big blind 200

Holecards:
Dealt to jackofheartz [ ]
FOLD letaj
RAISE mtg38skopok2, 2600 to 2800
RAISE jackofheartz , 120 to 2920 and is all-in
FOLD .ReloaÐ.
CALL mtg38skopok2, 120

Flop:
[ ]

Turn:
[ ] [ ]

River:
[ ] [ ]

Showdown:
jackofheartz : shows [ ] (two pair Aces and Jacks)
mtg38skopok2: shows [ ] (a full house Eights full of Aces)
mtg38skopok2 collected 6040 from pot

SUMMARY:
Total pot 6040 | Rake 0

Board:
[ ]
Seat 2: letaj folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 3: mtg38skopok2 (button) showed [ ] and won (6040) with a full house Eights full of Aces
Seat 4: jackofheartz (small blind) showed [ ] and lost with two pair Aces and Jacks
Seat 9: .ReloaÐ. (big blind) folded before Flop

I took some notes during my 1st session. They are listed below and are random as I typed them as hands played out. It would be nice to run good once in a while. This is a small % of the bad luck I had today. I had a ton of spots on the bubble or ITM where shorties made massive suckouts and I then went out 3rd or 4th. And I ran horrible HU as well.

This is so bad so far. JJ <> my AJ in BB. MP shoves 7BBs A(o I shove 16BBs in SB AKs and BB with 35BBs insta calls KQs turn 9 river flushed me. HU moron shoves 25BBs like 2/3s of hands and pbv runs better than me. Bubble I'm UTG+1 with 1.5BBs and moron short stack can outwait me and cash calls and rivres a 4 A4 v/s AK and I bubble and of course the CL had 2 chances to shove him and gave him a walk. A6 < 86 on bubble. KJ to 54o on the bubble he rivers gutshot. I lost a flip when guy makes a bad call and lose CL. Then lost K8 to QJo who rivered a J on me. Lost another flip on bubble. And to finish off A6 < A5 HU.

the hits just keep on coming

2008-06-14T02:01:00.003-05:00

Well I played 48 games tonight and was only down just over 2 BIs so it wasn't horrible. I ran my results through SNG Luck Analyzer and as typical for me I was about -4BIs I think so I should have been slightly up. My SNG Luck results for the last 2 days are me actually being down $535 in real time but my "luck" is -$432. So basically I should be down $100 if I ran even. But whatever. What matters is getting back to winning again whether I'm running good or not.

Some more atrocious plays tonight in the 27Ts which I've come to expect. Getting snap called on the bubble by 22 and losing a race is always fun. I had 3 people under 3BBs HU and lost to them. One off them had 1BB if I'm right I know it was 2 or less but I think I had him all in on his BB and he came back to win. Those are the ones that hurt. I also won a 6 max SNG for hte Turbo Takedown on Stars tonight. I had been burning fpps at the Step 1s and getting no where so tonight I had 1K FPPs and played the 6 max sat which paid 1st a seat and 2nd got a refund. Ran well early and got AA v/s KK and it held. Then 4 handed I was back down to a starting stack and I won a flip and a couple 40/60s to take it down. GL to me on Sunday.

And mattutaylor on PXF wants to be a douche and start shit with me on the forums tonight was classic. He keeps posting hands where he folds QQ preflop after raising or even 3 betting. Me, goldneagl, beanmo have all told him they were bad folds but what to we know? He posts another tonight where he 3 bet and folds QQ 4 handed in a 6 max SNG and we tell him its horrible. He's turned his hand into 72o. I probably get it in there in his example but if he's 3 bet folding he should just flat pre and take off a flop. But whatever I tell him if he's going to play in a way that makes him so exploitable I might jump in his games. Maybe a lil harsh but it was meant as a joke. As usual he blows his top. Which is why he's never going to be a winning poker player. He can't control his tilt and he over reacts to everything. He blasts me for my unprofessional comments. Last time I checked I'm not paid by PXF so not sure what he's talking about there. Then he whines and cries a bit and calls me out saying he can beat me in 6 max SNGs. Very manly call me out in a game I don't normally play. He offers 2:1 on a side bet. I laugh and tell him how stupid it is to challenge me to a game I'm not currently playing. Like I should challenge him to 500 RAZZ SNGs or something. And no I don't know how to play RAZZ that well but you get the idea.

Anyway I tell him to let it go and if he calls me out again I'll just lock his thread so he of course ups his challenge offering me 5:1 odds on a bet. If I had much experience at all or the bankroll to play at the level he's playing I might take his bet. 5:1 odds are huge since I can't be much worse than even money IMO v/s him. Especially if I could play most of the games v/s him cause I could just chat and tilt him and make easy money. Goldneagl finally locked his thread for the night. I can't really tell him off on PXF since I am a mod and should at least act somewhat responsible so I can't tell him to "GFY" or "DIAGF" or whatever pops in my head.

Finally prob the people who have PM'ed me lately aren't reading this and it doesn't matter but I've had a few PMs this week about me having a PTP account and getting some small stakes there. People have asked about buying my action. TBH I'm in a deal now that ends next weekend and I'm not sure I'm going to continue it regardless of if I'm up or down in the stake. My plan is to go back to FullTilt and grind 12Ts for a while. BUT if there is really enough interest in people wanting some of my action I don't mind running another BAP for FullTilt at the 36Ts. I'd want to have at least 50 buy ins and would really like to have a little more than that but a min of 50 is mandatory. I'd be buying some of my own action as well prob 10-20% of it. So if you would be interested in buying some of my action for maybe July at the 36Ts then e-mail me or PM me at PTP or PXF and tell me. If the interest is there I'll consider it. If not its no big deal but I wanted to at least address it.

And if someone wants to stake me for 500 6 max SNGs and take some of the side action v/s Mattu I'm willing to do that but I don't have the roll on my own. But the side bet would have to be large enough to make it worth my while. At least $500 on my side to make his bet $2500. So if someone is willing to put up the side bet and the stake LMK I'll cut you a good deal on it. Prob 60/40 + stakeback on my play and if I win the bet you get 60/40 on that as well. its a longshot but hell why not try.