30 April 2008

I switched today from PokerStars to FullTilt.

I know it sounds lame, but I have had such bad experiences on Pokerstars lately that I am really suspiscious. I have been playing a lot of SnGs. I was losing just a crazy number of times on boards where either its just crazy coordinated or the hand behind on the flop rivers it. I know these things will happen, but it was just too much.

I settled into NL50 on Full Tilt and played well, however I made 2 big mistakes. Instead of running 7.5 PTBBs / 100 I ran 2.3 / 100. Not a disaster, but I can do better than this. Both were on hands where I felt I was being pushed around. I need to be a lot sharper than this.

My roll is in tatters. I have started a new PT database, and have about $1540. I am considering that I will move up to NL100 at $1750 as per my plans.

25 April 2008

I ended the week OK, but I really just changed everything.

1. I am only 4 tabling.

2. When I 6+ table I fall into a very nitty 15.5/11.5 style. This is unacceptable, so I am consciously trying to be over 20 VP$IP. I was successful over 3K hands.

3. I am table selecting relentlessly. With only 4 tables, there is no need to be sitting at a table that is less than optimal. That means lots of green, medium to deep stacks and a fish directly on my right.

So far the results have been really encouraging, which is a good thing because I only have 25 playing days left. Its now or never.

24 April 2008

I had a $1000 day today. Unfortunately for me, the $ was flowing the wrong way.

It was without a doubt the worst and most stressful day I've ever had. I blew through 4 buyins at NL200, then continued for 3 more at NL100. I lost all my 54-46 "flips" no matter which side I was on, and I lost my 87-13 hugely dominated hands.

For the 2nd time this week I had to put a mercy killing to the day, ending up 2 hours early. I finished the day buying into about 8 x $7.50 level 1 SnGs. I got absolutely nowhere.

I spent a lot of time yesterday reflecting. I have played a lot of hands of NL50 and NL100, and I am very sad to acknowledge that the results are not pretty. I spent a while in PT looking over the showed-down hands of opponents that I respect and made some notes on differences. Then I ended up playing 1 table for 200 hands. I got AA and KK 6 or 7 times but only managed to end up +0.5 buyin. However, the more important topic is that I was able to easily keep my stats at 22-24 / 16-18, which is my ideal range. When I am running ++ tables, I tend towards the nitty 16/12 type of game.

My goal for today is to start 2 tabling, review after 200 hands to make sure I am hitting my stats, and then move to 4, review after another 200 hands and continue. I am solely concentrating on playing enough hands, the increase coming almost exclusively on the button.

23 April 2008

Last night, since I had barred myself from cash play, I sat in a $50+$5 45 seat SnG and won it. The payoff erased my bad day plus a little. I can't say that I outplayed anyone, as all my decisions were very cut and dry, and in fact, I lost very few races, and always at times when I could afford it. So I'll take it where I can get it.

This left me just shy of the $3500 mark for NL200, which I tagged early today. I did not start playing NL200 however, because I have been a bit gunshy lately. I decided to keep playing NL100. Well the doom switch is tripped, and I continue to run awful there. My dropdown mark is $2600, and I was fast approaching $3000, so I decided if I wanted to give NL200 a try, I better do it now, because soon I would have lost the opportunity.

So I sat 2 tabling NL200, where I didn't know a lot of the names (a couple, yes) and I ran +2 buyins to effectively erase the -4 buyins of NL100. So today is a wash, and I get another chance to make NL200 stick tomorrow.

I am pretty much at my all time high $ wise, but on my graph, I am way off. Running very poorly. Its just because of bonuses and a couple good tournies that I am here. Playing cash games are just making my head hurt.

22 April 2008

Well, negative 5 buyins. WTF. I am reviewing my play, sitting out, taking breaks. No huge leaks. Every time I cash a big bonus I run like crap. WTF. I swear to god almight if I had a rakeback deal on FT I would have been cashed out of pokerstars by now. I am stuck in NL100 HELL. Right now I hate poker more than anything in the world.

21 April 2008

I have been running OK, lots of review of my play. I am really eliminating a lot of errors. I will be able to cash the 50K FPPs tomorrow, and I am within a stone's throw of giving NL200 a shot.

17 April 2008

Level: NL100

It was a good day. I reviewed my 15+ BB losses every 2 hours throughout the day. So I stayed very focused. I had one WTF hand where I folded 2P and I have no idea what the person was representing when he pushed on me. I had another where I pushed over a very loose and aggro players 4bet with JJs, and he showed up with AAs. I am not sure this was an error given his range. Unfortunately, I dont know what his 4 betting range is. He is definitely a loose 3 bettor, but the thing is just because I have a 4 bet bluff doesn't mean everyone does, especially at NL100.

I got my FPPs that were cashed but not cleared reversed, so now I have 41K FPPs en route to the 5oK mark and $650 bonus. So that is definitely nice.