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 $1750 as per my plans.
miércoles, 30 de abril de 2008
sábado, 26 de abril de 2008
25 April 2008
I ended the week OK, but I really just changed everything.
1. I am only 4 tabling.
2. When I 6+ table I fall into a very nitty 15.5/11.5 style. This is unacceptable, so I am consciously trying to be over 20 VP$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.
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.
jueves, 24 de abril de 2008
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.
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.
miércoles, 23 de abril de 2008
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.
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.
martes, 22 de abril de 2008
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.
lunes, 21 de abril de 2008
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.
jueves, 17 de abril de 2008
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.
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.
miércoles, 16 de abril de 2008
16 April 2008 - Update 2
Today went poorly, maybe it was the "please 3bet me" sign I had on my forehead. I dunno. I have run so brutally badly lately that I have had a lot of thoughts of quitting. I'm not a quitter, but really, everyone has their breaking point. I can only be a set magnet so long.
My last hand of the day: AK and a solid tight player calls my 3b. Flop is A33r. Just about perfect. I am ahead of everything conceivable except pocket aces, which I discount since he only called my 3bet. Well the money goes in and I am wrong again, as my opponent had called my 3bet with 35suited. He flopped gin. A yahtzee flop for him. After a hand like that I am thinking yahtzee and gin are not such a bad idea.
I don't want to complain. But every day after playing I feel so sad and really hopeless depressed all over again. But I am going to take a break, like I always do, and later on tonight I am going to go over my session like I usually do and search for leaks and take notes like I usually do, then I am going to watch a video or two like I often do, then tomorrow I am going to sit down and give it another try, like I always do.
And I am going to try not to lose, like I usually do.
My last hand of the day: AK and a solid tight player calls my 3b. Flop is A33r. Just about perfect. I am ahead of everything conceivable except pocket aces, which I discount since he only called my 3bet. Well the money goes in and I am wrong again, as my opponent had called my 3bet with 35suited. He flopped gin. A yahtzee flop for him. After a hand like that I am thinking yahtzee and gin are not such a bad idea.
I don't want to complain. But every day after playing I feel so sad and really hopeless depressed all over again. But I am going to take a break, like I always do, and later on tonight I am going to go over my session like I usually do and search for leaks and take notes like I usually do, then I am going to watch a video or two like I often do, then tomorrow I am going to sit down and give it another try, like I always do.
And I am going to try not to lose, like I usually do.
16 April 2008 - Update 1
Well, I changed my mind completely. The thing is, with moving to Denver this summer, I can't be committing to Euro sites. I have to be on PokerStars.
So I did the next best thing, or the best thing, depending how you look at it. I decided I was playing way too nitty, and loosened up all the way to about 22/20. I am playing significantly more aggressively preflop. And what's more, I have always thought I have good postflop skills, so, even though the marginal situations occur a bit more often, I think I am OK.
I ran my daily balance back even by lunchtime, and the thing is, I am complaining a lot less to myself about how things are going, I am less waiting for the action to come to me than I am driving the action. It is definitely a much more interesting way to play.
So I did the next best thing, or the best thing, depending how you look at it. I decided I was playing way too nitty, and loosened up all the way to about 22/20. I am playing significantly more aggressively preflop. And what's more, I have always thought I have good postflop skills, so, even though the marginal situations occur a bit more often, I think I am OK.
I ran my daily balance back even by lunchtime, and the thing is, I am complaining a lot less to myself about how things are going, I am less waiting for the action to come to me than I am driving the action. It is definitely a much more interesting way to play.
16 April 2008
I don't know what it is about Stars. Today in only 73 hands I am down over two buyins. Here are the hands I have been up against:
AQ vs. a short stack who shows up with AK
88s vs. a short stack very 1st hand at the table who ends up with a bigger pair -> flush
A set
A set of trips
A pair and a flush draw (for stacks) that does not improve vs. TP no kicker
Now compare this to:
A set of 444s on an AJx two tone board that was raised by someone else. Now all of a sudden none of the other 3 players in the pot (right, 4 way), including the original raiser, have anything.
AK on a Kxx board with a flush draw, now all of a sudden none of the other 2 players (right, 3 way) have anything.
My general complaint is that since last Thursday, I have been up against bigger hands, that, in and of themselves are not terribly unlikely, but when viewed in aggregate are just mind-numbingly bad. I am literally up against a bigger hand every time I enter a pot on Stars. And when I have something, all fold.
Here are the questions I have:
I am not superstitious, but why do I get the feeling that I run inordinately bad every time I have a good deal of bonus $ on the line? Economically, we would say that there is a conflict of interest. Sure poker sites are legit. Sure. Then after 250K hands why do I still get these feelings?
When am I going to go on an outrageous heater? Is such a thing possible for me, or am I just the "kick me sign on his back" chump of the poker playing universe?
As it stands right now, I am about 2 bananas short of monkey tilt. I don't tilt at the tables, it is just an emotional thing. But my camel's back can take only about 1 or 2 more straws. At that point I am going to ca$h out of Stars and split my money between Eurolinx, Party and Pacific. There will be no FPPs or rakeback, and therefore no conflict of interest.
Update:
I just ran into another set. I am done on Stars. I am going to hit 500 more FPPs to make the next bonus, clear them, and cash out completely.
AQ vs. a short stack who shows up with AK
88s vs. a short stack very 1st hand at the table who ends up with a bigger pair -> flush
A set
A set of trips
A pair and a flush draw (for stacks) that does not improve vs. TP no kicker
Now compare this to:
A set of 444s on an AJx two tone board that was raised by someone else. Now all of a sudden none of the other 3 players in the pot (right, 4 way), including the original raiser, have anything.
AK on a Kxx board with a flush draw, now all of a sudden none of the other 2 players (right, 3 way) have anything.
My general complaint is that since last Thursday, I have been up against bigger hands, that, in and of themselves are not terribly unlikely, but when viewed in aggregate are just mind-numbingly bad. I am literally up against a bigger hand every time I enter a pot on Stars. And when I have something, all fold.
Here are the questions I have:
I am not superstitious, but why do I get the feeling that I run inordinately bad every time I have a good deal of bonus $ on the line? Economically, we would say that there is a conflict of interest. Sure poker sites are legit. Sure. Then after 250K hands why do I still get these feelings?
When am I going to go on an outrageous heater? Is such a thing possible for me, or am I just the "kick me sign on his back" chump of the poker playing universe?
As it stands right now, I am about 2 bananas short of monkey tilt. I don't tilt at the tables, it is just an emotional thing. But my camel's back can take only about 1 or 2 more straws. At that point I am going to ca$h out of Stars and split my money between Eurolinx, Party and Pacific. There will be no FPPs or rakeback, and therefore no conflict of interest.
Update:
I just ran into another set. I am done on Stars. I am going to hit 500 more FPPs to make the next bonus, clear them, and cash out completely.
martes, 15 de abril de 2008
15 April 2008
Limit: NL100
I started the day 5 tables on Stars and 1 on Party. As has been the case for some time now, the doom switch is tripped on Stars. Nothing happening and suckout after suckout in smallish pots. In fact, I only had 1 loss of over 36 blinds all day, yet Stars sucked about 3 buyins out of me. Its just a mind-numbingly incredible bad run.
The one hand I lost my stack was, simply put, an egregious error. I had AK in a 3bet pot and the flop comes down KJT. I bet out $18 and my opponent raises it to $45. Now since its 3bet, I have my opponent on TT+,ATs+,AK. My analysis goes like this: TT is a set, JJ is a set, QQ is open ended, KK is a set, AA beats me, AK chops, AQ is a straight, and I beat AJs and ATs. Nice, huh? And I tend to discount AJs and ATs since he still likes his hand a lot. So I figure I am way behind. But just to be sure, I convince myself to call the bet to make him fire again. So I call the bet and he fires again, that is to say he pushes the rest of his stack on the turn and I convince myself that I am priced in and I probably am not getting my $ in too bad. He turns over TTT. I was definitely priced in but my $ was most definitely not going in good. Just an incrediblely stupid play. 70 blinds I pi$$ed off.
Play on Party went really well, so much so that the gains offset the losses on Stars. This is something given that I only played 1 or 2 tables out of 6 on Party. It was just substantially different. The doom switch wasn't on all the time. I was making good hands at the expected rate. I actually had people making 2nd best hands against me. When I called down an over aggro player with a small pair he did not end up rivering a set. You know the drill. WTF is going on with Stars? I hope I pull out of this crud soon, because if not, I am just going to have to change sites.
I started the day 5 tables on Stars and 1 on Party. As has been the case for some time now, the doom switch is tripped on Stars. Nothing happening and suckout after suckout in smallish pots. In fact, I only had 1 loss of over 36 blinds all day, yet Stars sucked about 3 buyins out of me. Its just a mind-numbingly incredible bad run.
The one hand I lost my stack was, simply put, an egregious error. I had AK in a 3bet pot and the flop comes down KJT. I bet out $18 and my opponent raises it to $45. Now since its 3bet, I have my opponent on TT+,ATs+,AK. My analysis goes like this: TT is a set, JJ is a set, QQ is open ended, KK is a set, AA beats me, AK chops, AQ is a straight, and I beat AJs and ATs. Nice, huh? And I tend to discount AJs and ATs since he still likes his hand a lot. So I figure I am way behind. But just to be sure, I convince myself to call the bet to make him fire again. So I call the bet and he fires again, that is to say he pushes the rest of his stack on the turn and I convince myself that I am priced in and I probably am not getting my $ in too bad. He turns over TTT. I was definitely priced in but my $ was most definitely not going in good. Just an incrediblely stupid play. 70 blinds I pi$$ed off.
Play on Party went really well, so much so that the gains offset the losses on Stars. This is something given that I only played 1 or 2 tables out of 6 on Party. It was just substantially different. The doom switch wasn't on all the time. I was making good hands at the expected rate. I actually had people making 2nd best hands against me. When I called down an over aggro player with a small pair he did not end up rivering a set. You know the drill. WTF is going on with Stars? I hope I pull out of this crud soon, because if not, I am just going to have to change sites.
lunes, 14 de abril de 2008
14 April 2008
Today's Level: NL100
On Sunday I had a normal session at NL100 and ran pretty well, and again today I ran well. Unfortunately, I can't say it was because of my good play at all times. The brutal truth is that on my 2nd, 4th and 5th largest winners of the day I rivered my winner. One was getting my $ in with AK vs. KK and rivering an ace, one was getting my $ in on the flop AA vs. 777 and rivering a set, and one was AQ vs. AK and rivering my kicker (this one wasn't so bad, because not all the $ went in early, like the other hands, but only once I was pretty convinced I was ahead). I am not complaining because I have had more than my share of bad luck lately, and I deserve to win some when I am wrong. But I don't really feel all too good about it. Had I played better, I would have folded in just a couple more spots, and the net result is that I would have been about 1 buyin worse off. But its a process. And I did play well in many other spots.
I got an AHK script working, so now I have bet pot with a right mouse click. Wow, what a difference. I am much more consistently focused on the table, without hunting around so much for number keys. The wheel of my mouse also now moves in proper 1/2 increments.
I also transfered $400 to Party to take advantage of the sign up and get 6 months of stoxpoker thing. It is about 1/6 of my budget, so I will play 1 of my 6 tables there until the 30% bonus clears, and then re-evaluate.
On Sunday I had a normal session at NL100 and ran pretty well, and again today I ran well. Unfortunately, I can't say it was because of my good play at all times. The brutal truth is that on my 2nd, 4th and 5th largest winners of the day I rivered my winner. One was getting my $ in with AK vs. KK and rivering an ace, one was getting my $ in on the flop AA vs. 777 and rivering a set, and one was AQ vs. AK and rivering my kicker (this one wasn't so bad, because not all the $ went in early, like the other hands, but only once I was pretty convinced I was ahead). I am not complaining because I have had more than my share of bad luck lately, and I deserve to win some when I am wrong. But I don't really feel all too good about it. Had I played better, I would have folded in just a couple more spots, and the net result is that I would have been about 1 buyin worse off. But its a process. And I did play well in many other spots.
I got an AHK script working, so now I have bet pot with a right mouse click. Wow, what a difference. I am much more consistently focused on the table, without hunting around so much for number keys. The wheel of my mouse also now moves in proper 1/2 increments.
I also transfered $400 to Party to take advantage of the sign up and get 6 months of stoxpoker thing. It is about 1/6 of my budget, so I will play 1 of my 6 tables there until the 30% bonus clears, and then re-evaluate.
sábado, 12 de abril de 2008
Weekend Update
After thinking about things for a while, and receiving some comments from friends that I respect, I think I've decided on a path forward. I am certainly not going to quit.
Here are some things I am keeping in mind:
From great books like Fooled by Randomness or Gambling Theory and Other Topics is the fact that the daily results are really just noise.
From my research into randomness: crazy results affect almost everyone from time to time and fortune has no idea or regard for any artificial timeframes I have placed on things and that in the long run the signal emerges from the noise and the long run certainly begins no more early than 500K hands and this may be generous.
From my good friend in GA who seems very much more emotionally stable than me is that having a reasonable backup plan is not such a bad idea and having to implement Plan B for some period of time is certainly not going to suck the lifeblood out of me and that despite what it feels like right know this is not even remotely close to a quitting point, even if bad results continue into the foreseeable future.
From my own personal examination is that to play at a certain quality, I need a certain quantity, and for me this is about 4.5K - 5.0K hands per day.
This whole experience has really kind of shaken me into viewing the potential upsides more realistically along with the negative aspects. The daily pluses and minuses are just illusions, and I will compare my results at the end of the month. Day to day this will just be a job that I will try to get better out.
So, in the spirit of re-invention, I will post my monthly totals, and running forward, just talk in my blog about interesting situations, and not at all about balances, except if they allow/force me to move up/down.
Begin $0
Month 1 - Jan 2008 - $154
Month 2 - Feb 2008 - $800
Month 3 - Mar 2008 - $2061
Here are some things I am keeping in mind:
From great books like Fooled by Randomness or Gambling Theory and Other Topics is the fact that the daily results are really just noise.
From my research into randomness: crazy results affect almost everyone from time to time and fortune has no idea or regard for any artificial timeframes I have placed on things and that in the long run the signal emerges from the noise and the long run certainly begins no more early than 500K hands and this may be generous.
From my good friend in GA who seems very much more emotionally stable than me is that having a reasonable backup plan is not such a bad idea and having to implement Plan B for some period of time is certainly not going to suck the lifeblood out of me and that despite what it feels like right know this is not even remotely close to a quitting point, even if bad results continue into the foreseeable future.
From my own personal examination is that to play at a certain quality, I need a certain quantity, and for me this is about 4.5K - 5.0K hands per day.
This whole experience has really kind of shaken me into viewing the potential upsides more realistically along with the negative aspects. The daily pluses and minuses are just illusions, and I will compare my results at the end of the month. Day to day this will just be a job that I will try to get better out.
So, in the spirit of re-invention, I will post my monthly totals, and running forward, just talk in my blog about interesting situations, and not at all about balances, except if they allow/force me to move up/down.
Begin $0
Month 1 - Jan 2008 - $154
Month 2 - Feb 2008 - $800
Month 3 - Mar 2008 - $2061
viernes, 11 de abril de 2008
11 April 2008 - Out
Out: $1826 + ($285 + $20 accrued but now cashed bonuses) = $2131
--
Disaster Day II The Sequel, -7 buyins on 5K hands.
Administrative note: I am really seriously depressed, and as of right now, I am not going to write any more updates in this blog. Maybe temporarly, maybe permanent. I am not even positive I will continue on Monday. I will post my daily totals if I do continue. Maybe sometime in the future I'll start writing again.
--
Disaster Day II The Sequel, -7 buyins on 5K hands.
Administrative note: I am really seriously depressed, and as of right now, I am not going to write any more updates in this blog. Maybe temporarly, maybe permanent. I am not even positive I will continue on Monday. I will post my daily totals if I do continue. Maybe sometime in the future I'll start writing again.
jueves, 10 de abril de 2008
11 April 2008 - In
Well statistically Friday is my worst day of the week, and with the -9 buyin day yesterday, what's not to like about this setup? I guess I just have to get my game on and hope for the best. Funny, when your best plan is hoping for the best, its usually not such a strong plan.
I am going to 7 table today, 4 short and 3 long. That will leave me with just slight overlap on 2 of the long tables. In this way, I should be able to table select pretty well, and maybe push back up to a more reasonable 4K hand total for the day, after my recent anemic run. I am 22K FPPs, so when I pop over 25K late in the day, I am going to cash the bonus. At my current level, the 25K bonus is the biggest I can get. I would need to be supernova to get the 50K $650 bonus. So I will take the bonuses in 25K chunks. This puts me effectively just above $2.8K, so I am 7 buyins from NL200.
I have also re-arranged my Thor figurine and meditation bowls on my desktop. This should help my fortune immensely.
--
Song of the Day: Nobody's Home by Clint Black
I am going to 7 table today, 4 short and 3 long. That will leave me with just slight overlap on 2 of the long tables. In this way, I should be able to table select pretty well, and maybe push back up to a more reasonable 4K hand total for the day, after my recent anemic run. I am 22K FPPs, so when I pop over 25K late in the day, I am going to cash the bonus. At my current level, the 25K bonus is the biggest I can get. I would need to be supernova to get the 50K $650 bonus. So I will take the bonuses in 25K chunks. This puts me effectively just above $2.8K, so I am 7 buyins from NL200.
I have also re-arranged my Thor figurine and meditation bowls on my desktop. This should help my fortune immensely.
--
Song of the Day: Nobody's Home by Clint Black
10 April 2008 - Out
Out: $2534 (22K FPPs)
--
Hit -5.4 buyins on only 1K hands, so the day officially qualifies as a complete disaster, and what's more, I am done for the day. I am going to play the 20x$12's and maybe a step 1. But the important thing is to stop the bleeding, come back tomorrow with a clear head, and move forward.
It has been brutally hard to accumulate any kind of hand quantity recently.
So I regroup and play 1K hands of NL50 break-even, then go back to NL100, because I am in a just-fine state of mind, and I have to keep grinding. More of the same. End the day -9 buyins. This is the sickest day since my qwest began Dec 10 2007. I just want to cry.
--
Hit -5.4 buyins on only 1K hands, so the day officially qualifies as a complete disaster, and what's more, I am done for the day. I am going to play the 20x$12's and maybe a step 1. But the important thing is to stop the bleeding, come back tomorrow with a clear head, and move forward.
It has been brutally hard to accumulate any kind of hand quantity recently.
So I regroup and play 1K hands of NL50 break-even, then go back to NL100, because I am in a just-fine state of mind, and I have to keep grinding. More of the same. End the day -9 buyins. This is the sickest day since my qwest began Dec 10 2007. I just want to cry.
10 April 2008 - In
Started the day running brutally bad. In just 700 hands I am down 3.25 buyins. I lost a flip for my stack, I made a 2 street c-bet in a raised pot where the guy decides to call me down with AK unimproved, I lost to better trips that filled up, I called down a loose player with an overpair and he shows up with a set instead of the top pair he should have, yada yada yada. So at this point I am taking a half hour forced break to regroup. My play hasn't been terribly bad, maybe I shouldn't have made the 2 street c-bet against a tougher player, as it is usually not my style to mix it up too much with tougher players and maybe I shouldn't have gotten it all in on the flip, but the thing was I was expecting I would have some fold equity, which I obviously did not, and my opponent held onto a tenuous top pair of tens (I was 51-49 on the flop (when the money went in) in pokerstove).
I really did run well yesterday, so an equalling of fortune is not unexpected. I am going to briefly regroup and then hit the tables again.
--
Song of the Day: Reason Why by Rachael Yamagata
I really did run well yesterday, so an equalling of fortune is not unexpected. I am going to briefly regroup and then hit the tables again.
--
Song of the Day: Reason Why by Rachael Yamagata
miércoles, 9 de abril de 2008
9 April 2008 - Out
Out: $3442
--
Very short day, because of obligations, but very good. Ran +6 buyins on about 1.7K hands. For some reason, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday are my best days statistically. I am only 2.5 buyins from NL200, and I have over 20K FPPs, that, right now, I am going to let ride, and try to accumulate into 50K or more.
--
Very short day, because of obligations, but very good. Ran +6 buyins on about 1.7K hands. For some reason, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday are my best days statistically. I am only 2.5 buyins from NL200, and I have over 20K FPPs, that, right now, I am going to let ride, and try to accumulate into 50K or more.
martes, 8 de abril de 2008
8 April 2008 - Out
Out: $2802 (+19K FPPs)
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Spent all day preparing for the L6. I cold-deck, play super-tight, and get lucky to slide into the money without risking any chips. A couple hands later my AK loses to A3. Such is my life. I'll take the little bit of good fortune where I can get it. Honestly, turning $100 into $500 is a major victory, despite the outcome at the final table. The win puts me at a new alltime high, and counting the accrued but not cashed bonus only about 7 buyins from the $3.7K NL200 cut.
Besides, I get a nice little break from 6m while improving my roll. What could be better?
--
Spent all day preparing for the L6. I cold-deck, play super-tight, and get lucky to slide into the money without risking any chips. A couple hands later my AK loses to A3. Such is my life. I'll take the little bit of good fortune where I can get it. Honestly, turning $100 into $500 is a major victory, despite the outcome at the final table. The win puts me at a new alltime high, and counting the accrued but not cashed bonus only about 7 buyins from the $3.7K NL200 cut.
Besides, I get a nice little break from 6m while improving my roll. What could be better?
8 April 2008 - In
Well the big news is that last night I considered my level 5 ticket to be a big distraction to my cash game, and jumped into a level 5 game. I folded my first 65 hands, got caught stealing 6-5 off but sucked out, and held on to tie for first. So I have a level 6 $2100 buyin 6 man SnG ticket. The payout is $12.5K, 1.5K, 1.5K, 1K, 1K, 500. With just over $100 invested so far, anyone place 6th or better is an incredible return on investment. The tourny plays double stacked, that is $3000 in chips starting with 10/20 blinds and 10 minute changes.
I started the day re-reading The Harrington workbook, and as the level 5 games are getting going, I am scouting the games intensely. I have very good notes on 2/3 of the registered players so far. I hope to get this game played before too long, as the waiting is kind of driving me crazy. But I have been patient this long, and can hold out a bit more. Wish me luck.
I started the day re-reading The Harrington workbook, and as the level 5 games are getting going, I am scouting the games intensely. I have very good notes on 2/3 of the registered players so far. I hope to get this game played before too long, as the waiting is kind of driving me crazy. But I have been patient this long, and can hold out a bit more. Wish me luck.
lunes, 7 de abril de 2008
7 April 2008 - Out
Out: $2302
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Played very well today, including a number of correct reads. One of my reads was that I was way ahead with an overpair, but my opponent hit a gutshot anyway to take my stack. Despite a continued run of very normal/bad luck, I was only down $16 on about 2500 hands.
I have accumulated 17K FPPS, so this is over $150 in bonus. No need to take it now. I am going to wait until it can help me move up. At 25K its worth $285 and at 50K $650.
I turned my remaining level 2 ticket into a level 5 ticket, so this is big news. The level 5 SnGs are $700 buyin. I can't cash this out directly, and there is no payout until level 6. But I have only invested about $100 or so, and the 6th place payout is $500 (at level 6, not level 5). So this is definitely good news. All that remains is deciding how and when to play the level 5.
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Song of the Day (heard on KCRW.com): Bairagi by Anoushka Shankar
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Played very well today, including a number of correct reads. One of my reads was that I was way ahead with an overpair, but my opponent hit a gutshot anyway to take my stack. Despite a continued run of very normal/bad luck, I was only down $16 on about 2500 hands.
I have accumulated 17K FPPS, so this is over $150 in bonus. No need to take it now. I am going to wait until it can help me move up. At 25K its worth $285 and at 50K $650.
I turned my remaining level 2 ticket into a level 5 ticket, so this is big news. The level 5 SnGs are $700 buyin. I can't cash this out directly, and there is no payout until level 6. But I have only invested about $100 or so, and the 6th place payout is $500 (at level 6, not level 5). So this is definitely good news. All that remains is deciding how and when to play the level 5.
--
Song of the Day (heard on KCRW.com): Bairagi by Anoushka Shankar
domingo, 6 de abril de 2008
Weekend Update
Out: $2334
--
Continued bad running. Right now, I absolutely refuse to keep pushing with things going so badly. I am 5 buyins down on my previous high of $2600. My graph in PT does not even look bad yet. Hopefully, I will keep it that way. The problem is that if I am destined to run bad for x number of hands, I am just prolonging the agony. So with this in mind, come Monday I am going to return to all day 4-6 tabling, come what may, barring a complete disaster.
To let you know, today I am down 2 buyins on 400 hands. Nothing is working. All the AAs are folded to me. I am only getting action when I can't stand much of it. Yada yada yada I'm sick of hearing myself.
I got to play a level 2 today. I raised 3 blinds (about 10 blinds effective stacks) utg 8 way with AQs and am called in one place. I flop a flush draw and overcards, giving me a monster draw with odds to win vs. top pair. Did it come in? No. I am left crippled. I win the next two hands in the blinds and have 3 blinds. I am folded to with 55 and push all in to be called by QT. So we flip and I lose. I am in a rut right now where everytime I get my $ in with the best of it, I am outdrawn. It is insanely frustrating, and as I said before, its no doubt the reason a lot of people think online poker is rigged. Of course its not, but cripes, runs like these make you really want to pull your fingernails out as a more pleasant alternative to the constant getting out drawn.
--
Continued bad running. Right now, I absolutely refuse to keep pushing with things going so badly. I am 5 buyins down on my previous high of $2600. My graph in PT does not even look bad yet. Hopefully, I will keep it that way. The problem is that if I am destined to run bad for x number of hands, I am just prolonging the agony. So with this in mind, come Monday I am going to return to all day 4-6 tabling, come what may, barring a complete disaster.
To let you know, today I am down 2 buyins on 400 hands. Nothing is working. All the AAs are folded to me. I am only getting action when I can't stand much of it. Yada yada yada I'm sick of hearing myself.
I got to play a level 2 today. I raised 3 blinds (about 10 blinds effective stacks) utg 8 way with AQs and am called in one place. I flop a flush draw and overcards, giving me a monster draw with odds to win vs. top pair. Did it come in? No. I am left crippled. I win the next two hands in the blinds and have 3 blinds. I am folded to with 55 and push all in to be called by QT. So we flip and I lose. I am in a rut right now where everytime I get my $ in with the best of it, I am outdrawn. It is insanely frustrating, and as I said before, its no doubt the reason a lot of people think online poker is rigged. Of course its not, but cripes, runs like these make you really want to pull your fingernails out as a more pleasant alternative to the constant getting out drawn.
viernes, 4 de abril de 2008
4 April 2008 - Out
Out: $2293
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An absolutely mind-numbingly bad day at SnGs. I kept getting my $ in with the best of it and getting drawn out upon. Yada yada yada.... I was playing SnGs because I thought I had a pretty decent opportunity with the WSOP step thing on Stars. I figured if I could work it all day I might have a good shot at some money. Think again. Wow, that was absolutely brutal. On the side, I played about 20 normal turbo SnGs and was down about $82. If I would have followed my advice from yesterday, which was to switch (between cash and SnGs) when things aren't going well, I would have changed over at lunchtime. But as it stood, I ended up pi$$ing the whole day away with very little cash play. What a waste. I suppose on the positive side I did get a break, and in the grand scheme of things it wasn't so bad, but I was so hopeful this morning. What an awful day. At one point I got kicked out of 10 in a row, and on each one, I got my $ in ahead with my opponent drawing to no better than 5 outs + runner/runner, and I lost each one. Mind numbing. Its stuff like this that makes people think online poker is rigged. But anyway, regroup and move on.
--
Song of the Day: I Don't Mind At All by Bourgeois Tagg
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An absolutely mind-numbingly bad day at SnGs. I kept getting my $ in with the best of it and getting drawn out upon. Yada yada yada.... I was playing SnGs because I thought I had a pretty decent opportunity with the WSOP step thing on Stars. I figured if I could work it all day I might have a good shot at some money. Think again. Wow, that was absolutely brutal. On the side, I played about 20 normal turbo SnGs and was down about $82. If I would have followed my advice from yesterday, which was to switch (between cash and SnGs) when things aren't going well, I would have changed over at lunchtime. But as it stood, I ended up pi$$ing the whole day away with very little cash play. What a waste. I suppose on the positive side I did get a break, and in the grand scheme of things it wasn't so bad, but I was so hopeful this morning. What an awful day. At one point I got kicked out of 10 in a row, and on each one, I got my $ in ahead with my opponent drawing to no better than 5 outs + runner/runner, and I lost each one. Mind numbing. Its stuff like this that makes people think online poker is rigged. But anyway, regroup and move on.
--
Song of the Day: I Don't Mind At All by Bourgeois Tagg
jueves, 3 de abril de 2008
3 April 2008 - Out
Out: $2431
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Ran about +$200 on SnGs today, so not bad, and finished the day up, even though I got lambasted in the cash games. I played cash for about 1 hour mid afternoon, and I recovered somewhat. So this is a big change from me in the past where I would continue to grind things out and get more and more frustrated. But mostly just SnGs today.
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Ran about +$200 on SnGs today, so not bad, and finished the day up, even though I got lambasted in the cash games. I played cash for about 1 hour mid afternoon, and I recovered somewhat. So this is a big change from me in the past where I would continue to grind things out and get more and more frustrated. But mostly just SnGs today.
3 April 2008 - In
Absolute continuation of the general awfulness of yesterday. It was so bad after 500 hands (down 2.5 buyins) that I sat out of all my tables and switched to SnGs. I just had absolutely nothing at the tables, was getting played back at every hand, etc. In situations like this I think its best not to force it. Just let the bad luck run its course while trying not to lose your shirt.
The SnGs, on the other hand, have gone very well. So far in the turbo 6 seaters I am 7 for 9 in the money. As I try to decide whether to take another shot at the cash games, I notice that it is just a bad day- all the tables have waiting lists, too many regulars per fish. I think I'll stick to the SnGs for now, I am not encountering any repeat players, so this is a good thing.
The SnGs, on the other hand, have gone very well. So far in the turbo 6 seaters I am 7 for 9 in the money. As I try to decide whether to take another shot at the cash games, I notice that it is just a bad day- all the tables have waiting lists, too many regulars per fish. I think I'll stick to the SnGs for now, I am not encountering any repeat players, so this is a good thing.
miércoles, 2 de abril de 2008
2 April 2008 - Out
Out: $2352
--
Absolutely awful day with nothing going well. My biggest losers: set over set and flush over set. Tables were moving slow and I just hit 2300 hands on the day. Note taking was slow, everything was slow. I just wasn't getting into spots except when I was beat. I did have maybe 2 really good plays on the day, including one that I was definitely a level up on a good player. It could have been a lot worse, but -2.1 buyins in 2300 is pretty bad. I consider -5 buyins in 5K hands to be a disaster, so percentagewise, this was just about a disaster day. I had to switch out tables a number of times today to prevent monkey tilt. I ended the session 45 minutes early because things were just going so bad, and I ended up with 2 SnGs.
The first one was kind of funny because it was 3 handed and I hadn't even opened a pot. My bad luck continued as I hit TP while the table luckbox hit 2P and I was out in 3rd. The other I don't open a hand until 1K in chips and $150 blinds, I get QQ, hit a set, and lose to AAA. That is the day in essence; pure and unadultrated mind-f***ing-numbing badness.
--
Absolutely awful day with nothing going well. My biggest losers: set over set and flush over set. Tables were moving slow and I just hit 2300 hands on the day. Note taking was slow, everything was slow. I just wasn't getting into spots except when I was beat. I did have maybe 2 really good plays on the day, including one that I was definitely a level up on a good player. It could have been a lot worse, but -2.1 buyins in 2300 is pretty bad. I consider -5 buyins in 5K hands to be a disaster, so percentagewise, this was just about a disaster day. I had to switch out tables a number of times today to prevent monkey tilt. I ended the session 45 minutes early because things were just going so bad, and I ended up with 2 SnGs.
The first one was kind of funny because it was 3 handed and I hadn't even opened a pot. My bad luck continued as I hit TP while the table luckbox hit 2P and I was out in 3rd. The other I don't open a hand until 1K in chips and $150 blinds, I get QQ, hit a set, and lose to AAA. That is the day in essence; pure and unadultrated mind-f***ing-numbing badness.
martes, 1 de abril de 2008
1 April 2008 - Out
Out: $2611
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Good day +5.5 buyins on 3200 hands, mostly all on fast 6m tables. I got in one situation today where I was really outplayed. I caught a guy in a bluff, then about 2 hands later, he bets out in exactly the same manner and I call him down with TPTK, but he was one level ahead, as he had flopped 2P and was thinking that I would be thinking that it was a bluff (which I was) so he played it like a bluff. He totally used me. I was completely on auto-pilot and I did not think about the situation properly. It was in fact my biggest loser of the day. Maybe tempered a little bit by catching him in the bluff earlier, but overall he hung me out to dry. So then I noticed I was getting floated a lot on the flop, so I had to adjust and start 2 barreling more, no problems there. Then I tried a stone bluff against that same player, who was really laggy, so I figured that if I 3 bet then bet out the flop it would work a high percentage of the time, since he usually had crap, but it didn't. Then I realized I was spending too much energy against a tricky player who was at least as likely, if not more likely, to outplay me, so I changed tables. That (changing tables) was a really good move.
It was kind of a strange day in that all my winning and losings were net less than 1 buyin. I only lost 3 pots over 40 blinds, but I won 13 over 40 blinds. I am adding a lot of notes on players, and at least once I used a specific note read (as opposed to PAHud read which I use all the time) to make a nice 3 street value betting sequence.
I am making about 1 FPP per hand, so since (knock on wood) I don't need the bonus money right now I am going to let it ride, and shoot for 25K FPPs, and I can cash that in for $285 - a $35 extra over cashing 5 x 5000 FPPs at $50 each. I am standing at 7.5K.
--
Good day +5.5 buyins on 3200 hands, mostly all on fast 6m tables. I got in one situation today where I was really outplayed. I caught a guy in a bluff, then about 2 hands later, he bets out in exactly the same manner and I call him down with TPTK, but he was one level ahead, as he had flopped 2P and was thinking that I would be thinking that it was a bluff (which I was) so he played it like a bluff. He totally used me. I was completely on auto-pilot and I did not think about the situation properly. It was in fact my biggest loser of the day. Maybe tempered a little bit by catching him in the bluff earlier, but overall he hung me out to dry. So then I noticed I was getting floated a lot on the flop, so I had to adjust and start 2 barreling more, no problems there. Then I tried a stone bluff against that same player, who was really laggy, so I figured that if I 3 bet then bet out the flop it would work a high percentage of the time, since he usually had crap, but it didn't. Then I realized I was spending too much energy against a tricky player who was at least as likely, if not more likely, to outplay me, so I changed tables. That (changing tables) was a really good move.
It was kind of a strange day in that all my winning and losings were net less than 1 buyin. I only lost 3 pots over 40 blinds, but I won 13 over 40 blinds. I am adding a lot of notes on players, and at least once I used a specific note read (as opposed to PAHud read which I use all the time) to make a nice 3 street value betting sequence.
I am making about 1 FPP per hand, so since (knock on wood) I don't need the bonus money right now I am going to let it ride, and shoot for 25K FPPs, and I can cash that in for $285 - a $35 extra over cashing 5 x 5000 FPPs at $50 each. I am standing at 7.5K.
lunes, 31 de marzo de 2008
1 April 2008 - In
More of the same, 4 tabling NL100.
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Songs of the Day: Blues Music by G Love & Special Sauce, Harder Ships of the World by Keren Ann
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Songs of the Day: Blues Music by G Love & Special Sauce, Harder Ships of the World by Keren Ann
31 March 2008 - Out
Out: $2061
--
Almost completely flat for the afternoon. Ironically, my goal was to reduce tables and run 2x my normal rate, and over 3K hands today, that's almost exactly what I did. Of course that is just coincidence, but it would be kinda funny if indeed I am able to do this. The reason is that today was much less mentally stressful because I did not need to hop around tables so much. I think only one or two tables went so bad that I had to change all day, and that's not bad.
A couple of late SnG monies took me over the magic $2K mark for the first time closing out a day.
--
Almost completely flat for the afternoon. Ironically, my goal was to reduce tables and run 2x my normal rate, and over 3K hands today, that's almost exactly what I did. Of course that is just coincidence, but it would be kinda funny if indeed I am able to do this. The reason is that today was much less mentally stressful because I did not need to hop around tables so much. I think only one or two tables went so bad that I had to change all day, and that's not bad.
A couple of late SnG monies took me over the magic $2K mark for the first time closing out a day.
31 March 2008 - In
4 tabling today at NL100 with very good results. Midday I am up +3 buyins, despite losing a full house vs. full house hand. No doubt I am running well, but I am also able to make a lot of notes and follow a lot of what is happening at the tables in hands in which I am not directly involved. My balance is hovering around $2K right now, so that is good. And I am accruing FPPs at a decent clip. I am not keeping track of exactly how many FPPs I would get in a full day of 4 tabling NL100, but probably tomorrow I will take note before I start.
--
Song of the Day: Calling All Friends by Low Stars
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Song of the Day: Calling All Friends by Low Stars
domingo, 30 de marzo de 2008
Weekend Update
Out: $1648
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I have re-arranged my PAHud stats, they now go as:
VP$IP - PFR - # Hands
Attempt to Steal - Folds BB to Steal
Flop Agg - Cbets - Folds to Cbet
Turn Agg
River Agg - Goes to Showdown
For 6m I color code VP$IP 0-16 green, 16-25 yellow, 25+ red.
I use the default PFR color codings.
After I live with this setup for a couple of days, I will color code the other stats.
I have found the new arrangement much more logical, as arranged by street. One other thing that I do is to display my own session stats for each table, because when multi-tabling it is hard to keep track whether you are cold-decking or getting a lot of playable hands, and so at a glance you can tell how your opponents perceive you.
Playing SnGs for 1/4 my normal buyin, when I moved to NL100, I immediately went on a SnG cooler, but today I finally won my first one at the 23+2 level. I am coming off a wicked SnG cooler stretch (4/16) that saw me dip negative, but over a very small sample of about 30 matches I am at about $2 per.
My plan for tomorrow is to 4 table all day and try to objectively notice if I think I can double my win rate by halving my # of tables. If I think I can, it will be a major piece of good news, because with 6-9 tables, I can't really keep track of all the ongoing table dynamics, so I definitely lose value by not noticing some things that can be exploited. I also have to keep switching tables as they go bad. But with 4 tables, as long as I am making good notes on all the noteworthy plays that occur, a table with 5 mediocre/good players should still be profitable if I adjust to them better than they adjust to me.
--
Song of the Weekend: San Geronimo by The Red House Painters
--
I have re-arranged my PAHud stats, they now go as:
VP$IP - PFR - # Hands
Attempt to Steal - Folds BB to Steal
Flop Agg - Cbets - Folds to Cbet
Turn Agg
River Agg - Goes to Showdown
For 6m I color code VP$IP 0-16 green, 16-25 yellow, 25+ red.
I use the default PFR color codings.
After I live with this setup for a couple of days, I will color code the other stats.
I have found the new arrangement much more logical, as arranged by street. One other thing that I do is to display my own session stats for each table, because when multi-tabling it is hard to keep track whether you are cold-decking or getting a lot of playable hands, and so at a glance you can tell how your opponents perceive you.
Playing SnGs for 1/4 my normal buyin, when I moved to NL100, I immediately went on a SnG cooler, but today I finally won my first one at the 23+2 level. I am coming off a wicked SnG cooler stretch (4/16) that saw me dip negative, but over a very small sample of about 30 matches I am at about $2 per.
My plan for tomorrow is to 4 table all day and try to objectively notice if I think I can double my win rate by halving my # of tables. If I think I can, it will be a major piece of good news, because with 6-9 tables, I can't really keep track of all the ongoing table dynamics, so I definitely lose value by not noticing some things that can be exploited. I also have to keep switching tables as they go bad. But with 4 tables, as long as I am making good notes on all the noteworthy plays that occur, a table with 5 mediocre/good players should still be profitable if I adjust to them better than they adjust to me.
--
Song of the Weekend: San Geronimo by The Red House Painters
viernes, 28 de marzo de 2008
28 March 2008 - Out
Out: $1543
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Continue to run awful at NL100. I am just completely disgusted and very glad its Friday and I can get away from this crap from a while. I took a break early, then sat back in and within the first couple of hands I get 4 way action with AA. Of course KKK took the pot, as fortune is using me to wipe her a$$.
--
Continue to run awful at NL100. I am just completely disgusted and very glad its Friday and I can get away from this crap from a while. I took a break early, then sat back in and within the first couple of hands I get 4 way action with AA. Of course KKK took the pot, as fortune is using me to wipe her a$$.
28 March 2008 - In
Doom switch continues to be on in NL100. 2 winning sessions out of 12 in 1K hands and I am down 1.5 buyins. So for now, I am pre-emptively back to NL50. At this point, I am just not willing to grind it at a limit where things are so clearly not going well. Case in point: I steal with 68, and get min-raised. I have to call it back and the flop comes T68. What is my fishy opponent's most likely hand given the min-raise? QQ-AA is what I thought. So we get it in on the flop and he turns over 66. I was drawing to 2 thin outs and my read was off by a country mile. Otherwise, its just all fold when I have a good hand, or more action from the 3 betathon.
--
Song of the Day: Three Little Birds by Bob Marley
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Song of the Day: Three Little Birds by Bob Marley
jueves, 27 de marzo de 2008
27 March 2008 - Out
Out: $1788
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Very strange day. Started at NL100, ran awful. Played 6 SnGs, ran awful. Stepped back down to NL50, ran up over 8 buyins. At one point I was over double stacked on 6 different tables. I checked my balance late in the day, and I was over the $1750 cut, so I moved up to NL100 for the last hour, but only 2 tabling. The change was instant, as someone cut on the doom switch. I was break even, but it was a binary, night & day change. Table selection continues to be an intensely major issue, with all of NL100 during the Euro day seemingly filled with TAG / LAG Germans. When I think of Germany, I think precision and hard-working. And a great understanding of the English language, so the current material in poker is well within their reach.
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Songs of the Day: (What I have been liking on KCRW.com) Northern Lights by Science for Girls, A Door a Door by Yoav, I Can't Believe I'm Not a Millionaire by The Puppini Sisters
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Very strange day. Started at NL100, ran awful. Played 6 SnGs, ran awful. Stepped back down to NL50, ran up over 8 buyins. At one point I was over double stacked on 6 different tables. I checked my balance late in the day, and I was over the $1750 cut, so I moved up to NL100 for the last hour, but only 2 tabling. The change was instant, as someone cut on the doom switch. I was break even, but it was a binary, night & day change. Table selection continues to be an intensely major issue, with all of NL100 during the Euro day seemingly filled with TAG / LAG Germans. When I think of Germany, I think precision and hard-working. And a great understanding of the English language, so the current material in poker is well within their reach.
--
Songs of the Day: (What I have been liking on KCRW.com) Northern Lights by Science for Girls, A Door a Door by Yoav, I Can't Believe I'm Not a Millionaire by The Puppini Sisters
27 March 2008 - In
Yesterday late I played 2 SnG's and went 1/2, not bad. Today at the cash tables I was running awful, just a continuation of the crap of yesterday. Wrong side of KK vs. AA twice yada yada yada nothing working yada yada yada. I have also been having extreme table selection issues. Maybe its the Euro work day? I dunno, but its 1 fish at a table most of the time. So I sat out and decided to play a set of 6 SnGs and let that decide if I should stay at NL100 or regroup at NL50. I went 1/6 for a solid loss, so I am moving back to NL50 - a little bit pre-emptively, but I know when I'm running bad, and so I think its a solid decision.
miércoles, 26 de marzo de 2008
26 March 2008 - Out
Out: $1476
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Quickly passed $1750 to move up to NL100, then ran awful. Started OK on NL100, going up about 1.5 buyins, but then nothing started to work, and I ended up stuck 2.5 buyins. There is significantly more 3 betting. I have a $50 bonus cached but not cashed, and my move down level is $1300, so I am +2.25 buyins above the critical level. Even only 6 tabling, I am at about $50 in FPP per day at NL100, so that is a good thing. I will clear the bonus early tomorrow, so I have a little wiggle room, but not much. 4.5 buyins certainly does not guarantee that any level will stick, so we'll see.
I did quit today about 45 minutes to an hour early because things just weren't going well at all. I had just lost a set to a 7-3 flopped straight, so I figured it was better to stop the bleeding and start fresh tomorrow. I got stacked by quads and the wrong end of AA vs. KK, so all in all it was a pretty gruesome day.
--
Quickly passed $1750 to move up to NL100, then ran awful. Started OK on NL100, going up about 1.5 buyins, but then nothing started to work, and I ended up stuck 2.5 buyins. There is significantly more 3 betting. I have a $50 bonus cached but not cashed, and my move down level is $1300, so I am +2.25 buyins above the critical level. Even only 6 tabling, I am at about $50 in FPP per day at NL100, so that is a good thing. I will clear the bonus early tomorrow, so I have a little wiggle room, but not much. 4.5 buyins certainly does not guarantee that any level will stick, so we'll see.
I did quit today about 45 minutes to an hour early because things just weren't going well at all. I had just lost a set to a 7-3 flopped straight, so I figured it was better to stop the bleeding and start fresh tomorrow. I got stacked by quads and the wrong end of AA vs. KK, so all in all it was a pretty gruesome day.
martes, 25 de marzo de 2008
25 March 2008 - Out
Out: $1691
--
Incredibly hot all day finishing up at +9 buyins; you know its going well when sets turn into quads four times during the day. And get paid. I played 18/14.5 today, and was very tight in the first two spots, normal in the cut, and definitely LAGgy on the button. When opponents look at my stats and see 18/14.5 they don't realize that I am playing almost 30% of my hands on the button and only 10% UTG.
I have almost cleared another $50 bonus, so this leaves me only $9 from NL100. Tomorrow should be an interesting day.
--
Song of the Day: Gone As A Girl Can Get by George Strait (with The Ace In The Hole Band)
--
Incredibly hot all day finishing up at +9 buyins; you know its going well when sets turn into quads four times during the day. And get paid. I played 18/14.5 today, and was very tight in the first two spots, normal in the cut, and definitely LAGgy on the button. When opponents look at my stats and see 18/14.5 they don't realize that I am playing almost 30% of my hands on the button and only 10% UTG.
I have almost cleared another $50 bonus, so this leaves me only $9 from NL100. Tomorrow should be an interesting day.
--
Song of the Day: Gone As A Girl Can Get by George Strait (with The Ace In The Hole Band)
domingo, 23 de marzo de 2008
Weekend Update
Out: $1228
--
Absolutely horrid 2 days.
Saturday lost two $16 9 man SnGs back to back. After playing these (when I play SnGs I usually play the 6 seaters) I would wonder why anyone would ever play one of these....
Sunday I played my new system, which is to tighten up considerably in the first two positions, eliminating hands like AT, KJ, KT, QJ, QT completely and probably AJ from UTG, but to considerably widen my squeezes and raises on the button and in the cut. My goal is about 22.5/19.5. After 1K hands I was 19.5/16, but I did cold deck the last 300 hands or so, and before that point I was right on schedule. I ended up losing 3.5 buyins in an incredibly mind-numbing nothing is working type of session. Being Sunday and only scheduling 1K hands anyway, it seemed like a great time to quit even though I have plenty of time to play more. Maybe a tourny or something.
I really have to be closing in on about $2K by the end of the month, which means this week coming up. Monday is a holiday. I have a $50 bonus coming up that I will stockpile for a rainy day.
I concentrate on $13 turbo 6m SnGs and run +$86 on 8 matches, 3 1sts and 2 2nds.
--
Absolutely horrid 2 days.
Saturday lost two $16 9 man SnGs back to back. After playing these (when I play SnGs I usually play the 6 seaters) I would wonder why anyone would ever play one of these....
Sunday I played my new system, which is to tighten up considerably in the first two positions, eliminating hands like AT, KJ, KT, QJ, QT completely and probably AJ from UTG, but to considerably widen my squeezes and raises on the button and in the cut. My goal is about 22.5/19.5. After 1K hands I was 19.5/16, but I did cold deck the last 300 hands or so, and before that point I was right on schedule. I ended up losing 3.5 buyins in an incredibly mind-numbing nothing is working type of session. Being Sunday and only scheduling 1K hands anyway, it seemed like a great time to quit even though I have plenty of time to play more. Maybe a tourny or something.
I really have to be closing in on about $2K by the end of the month, which means this week coming up. Monday is a holiday. I have a $50 bonus coming up that I will stockpile for a rainy day.
I concentrate on $13 turbo 6m SnGs and run +$86 on 8 matches, 3 1sts and 2 2nds.
viernes, 21 de marzo de 2008
jueves, 20 de marzo de 2008
20 March 2008 - Out
Out: $1242
--
Zero of a day -2 buyins on 1K hands.
Placed 4 / 2000+ in a $1 NL tourny for just over $100.
--
Zero of a day -2 buyins on 1K hands.
Placed 4 / 2000+ in a $1 NL tourny for just over $100.
20 March 2008 - In
In: $1247
--
Took yesterday off, played 3 tournies. Placed 25/575 in a $1 PL tourny for a very small cashout, placed 20/152 in Stud Hi/Lo to just bubble out, and placed 3/24 in a 24 man $10 triple draw tourny to take $45. So not bad, even though I was interrupted about 15 times during the session.
--
Song of the Day: A Lifetime in Heat by The Guggenheim Grotto
--
Took yesterday off, played 3 tournies. Placed 25/575 in a $1 PL tourny for a very small cashout, placed 20/152 in Stud Hi/Lo to just bubble out, and placed 3/24 in a 24 man $10 triple draw tourny to take $45. So not bad, even though I was interrupted about 15 times during the session.
--
Song of the Day: A Lifetime in Heat by The Guggenheim Grotto
martes, 18 de marzo de 2008
18 March 2008 - Out
Out: $1211
--
Great day running up +8.5 buyins. I was able to play a TAG+ 20/16 style early, then tighten up considerably as the tables got very aggressive and a bit crazy. The truth was that I was a set magnet today, and I made a lot of my hands. I made a clear mistake early in the day donking off my stack with AAs on the flop, but this was the only one. I had just come back from my break and my checklist was not clear in my mind.
My checklist reads:
Relax, breath, press time.
Interpret the action.
Take the best line.
Don't stack off lightly.
Saw 3 or 4 stox posters at the tables today. Gonna have to teach those dudes how to multi-table and chat. Probably off tomorrow and Friday.
--
Great day running up +8.5 buyins. I was able to play a TAG+ 20/16 style early, then tighten up considerably as the tables got very aggressive and a bit crazy. The truth was that I was a set magnet today, and I made a lot of my hands. I made a clear mistake early in the day donking off my stack with AAs on the flop, but this was the only one. I had just come back from my break and my checklist was not clear in my mind.
My checklist reads:
Relax, breath, press time.
Interpret the action.
Take the best line.
Don't stack off lightly.
Saw 3 or 4 stox posters at the tables today. Gonna have to teach those dudes how to multi-table and chat. Probably off tomorrow and Friday.
18 March 2008 - In
In: approx. $775
--
Have cycled up 2 buyins and cleared the $50 bonus, so I am poised for another shot at NL50. This will be the third time.
--
Song of the Day: Copperhead Road by Steve Earle
--
Have cycled up 2 buyins and cleared the $50 bonus, so I am poised for another shot at NL50. This will be the third time.
--
Song of the Day: Copperhead Road by Steve Earle
lunes, 17 de marzo de 2008
17 March 2008 - In
Started playing NL50 again yesterday after running well at NL25. I was down a little over a buyin yesterday, and today immediately cycled below my cutoff, so I am back to NL25 again. I made an inspired bluff that did not work out, and my AAs ran into KKKs, so that's the way it goes. I continue to be hopeful, but when I examine my true feelings, I am intensely hopelessly depressed and cannot get the thought out of my mind that I am an intense failure that will never amount to anything.
I passed Platinum Star FPPs so will accumulate at 2.5x, and will certainly score and clear a $50 bonus today, making me 7 buyins shy of another shot at the limit from HELL.
--
Song of the Day: I Wanna Be Sedated by The Ramones
I passed Platinum Star FPPs so will accumulate at 2.5x, and will certainly score and clear a $50 bonus today, making me 7 buyins shy of another shot at the limit from HELL.
--
Song of the Day: I Wanna Be Sedated by The Ramones
domingo, 16 de marzo de 2008
Weekend Update
Out: $754+$133=$887
--
In the face of the adversity involved with my 2nd major downswing of the qwest, I have really taken some time to reexamine my game. I have looked at, in no particular order:
AK: the value or 3betting/pushing PF in aggro games vs. the value of calling in passive games
isolation bets: the type of opponent profile that will work
re-raised pots flopping TP: an almost obligatory turn check for pot-control
overpairs: board texture and pot control similar to TP
PF opening range: I have transformed from 16/12 to 20/16
Bluffing: acceptance of the fact that (mostly) in the protecting yo' stack, getting bluffed once in a while is part of the game, especially if you consider that with all my c-betting, I am probably bluffing way more than my typical opponent.
A PF raising baseline (baseline=a rough guideline to be deviated from as game conditions warrant): 3 BBs from the first 2 positions and SB, 4 BBs from the cut, btn and bb. This has the benefit of a consistent number of slider bar clicks despite the level.
A general c-betting baseline: based on .5 -> .75 of the pot in most conditions
I had some $ on iPoker which I was using during the almost daily pokerstars reboots and SnG'd it up to $133 which I have cashed out and expect about Tuesday. On Sunday AM I again moved past my $875 NL50 threshold, but since I have $ in transit, I have not moved back up yet.
--
Song of the Weekend: Good People by Jack Johnson
--
In the face of the adversity involved with my 2nd major downswing of the qwest, I have really taken some time to reexamine my game. I have looked at, in no particular order:
AK: the value or 3betting/pushing PF in aggro games vs. the value of calling in passive games
isolation bets: the type of opponent profile that will work
re-raised pots flopping TP: an almost obligatory turn check for pot-control
overpairs: board texture and pot control similar to TP
PF opening range: I have transformed from 16/12 to 20/16
Bluffing: acceptance of the fact that (mostly) in the protecting yo' stack, getting bluffed once in a while is part of the game, especially if you consider that with all my c-betting, I am probably bluffing way more than my typical opponent.
A PF raising baseline (baseline=a rough guideline to be deviated from as game conditions warrant): 3 BBs from the first 2 positions and SB, 4 BBs from the cut, btn and bb. This has the benefit of a consistent number of slider bar clicks despite the level.
A general c-betting baseline: based on .5 -> .75 of the pot in most conditions
I had some $ on iPoker which I was using during the almost daily pokerstars reboots and SnG'd it up to $133 which I have cashed out and expect about Tuesday. On Sunday AM I again moved past my $875 NL50 threshold, but since I have $ in transit, I have not moved back up yet.
--
Song of the Weekend: Good People by Jack Johnson
viernes, 14 de marzo de 2008
14 March 2008 - Out
Out: $690
--
Easily the worst week I have ever had. Tipped under $650, so I am back down to NL25. It is embarassing, but I have good discipline. I am upset beyond belief that I am going through another massive downswing. I just can't get the rage out of my head.
I got 5.8K hands today, and obviously did not hit enough FPPs for platinum since I had to move down. Instead of being 1 day away from a bonus, I am now 2. I am also 7.5 buyins away from another shot. I ran about +2.4 buyins at NL25; I was up over 4 until the suckouts started again. This is just a huge setback. I am sad and depressed and just very hateful.
Stacked off 2 FH's to quads. Wtf??? Twice???!!!???
--
Easily the worst week I have ever had. Tipped under $650, so I am back down to NL25. It is embarassing, but I have good discipline. I am upset beyond belief that I am going through another massive downswing. I just can't get the rage out of my head.
I got 5.8K hands today, and obviously did not hit enough FPPs for platinum since I had to move down. Instead of being 1 day away from a bonus, I am now 2. I am also 7.5 buyins away from another shot. I ran about +2.4 buyins at NL25; I was up over 4 until the suckouts started again. This is just a huge setback. I am sad and depressed and just very hateful.
Stacked off 2 FH's to quads. Wtf??? Twice???!!!???
jueves, 13 de marzo de 2008
13 March 2008 - Out
Out: $745
--
Another disaster of a day, making 3 out of 4 running. I fell to the point where I was under $25 away from having to drop down to NL25. Luckily I managed to hold it off, and allow my bonus to clear. So for tomorrow I have a 2 buyin cushion. Last time I went through a downswing like this it was 28K hands and 1K PTBBs. So far this time I am about the same down in 20K hands. Once I bounced, I was 33K hands recovering.
There is no way to get a bonus tomorrow, although I should break through Platinum and start accruing FPPs at 2.5x. If the 2 buyin cushin does not hold....
--
Song of the Day: Low by Cracker
--
Another disaster of a day, making 3 out of 4 running. I fell to the point where I was under $25 away from having to drop down to NL25. Luckily I managed to hold it off, and allow my bonus to clear. So for tomorrow I have a 2 buyin cushion. Last time I went through a downswing like this it was 28K hands and 1K PTBBs. So far this time I am about the same down in 20K hands. Once I bounced, I was 33K hands recovering.
There is no way to get a bonus tomorrow, although I should break through Platinum and start accruing FPPs at 2.5x. If the 2 buyin cushin does not hold....
--
Song of the Day: Low by Cracker
miércoles, 12 de marzo de 2008
12 March 2008 - Out
Out: $988
--
Things are going very poorly. Up $8 on 5K hands. I have another $50 bonus that should be due tomorrow, and I should hit Platinum Star FPPs on Friday. These are the only bright spots.
--
Things are going very poorly. Up $8 on 5K hands. I have another $50 bonus that should be due tomorrow, and I should hit Platinum Star FPPs on Friday. These are the only bright spots.
martes, 11 de marzo de 2008
11 March 2008 - Out
Out: $930
--
Don't worry about your dreams and aspirations, fortune will just piss on them. Down over 5 buyins on 5.6K hands of crap, now for the 2nd day running. I want to ****ing vomit. I just got done a big losing streak. Yada yada yada.
--
Don't worry about your dreams and aspirations, fortune will just piss on them. Down over 5 buyins on 5.6K hands of crap, now for the 2nd day running. I want to ****ing vomit. I just got done a big losing streak. Yada yada yada.
11 March 2008 - In
In: $1212
--
I am actively trying to work on "wood filler" as Jared Tendler would put it. That is to say, patching my psyche after a bitter experience instead of harboring lingering resentment. Pissing off 5 buyins yesterday certainly qualifies.
--
Song of the Day: Smells Like Teen Spirit interpreted by Tori Amos.
--
I am actively trying to work on "wood filler" as Jared Tendler would put it. That is to say, patching my psyche after a bitter experience instead of harboring lingering resentment. Pissing off 5 buyins yesterday certainly qualifies.
--
Song of the Day: Smells Like Teen Spirit interpreted by Tori Amos.
lunes, 10 de marzo de 2008
10 March 2008 - Out
Out: $1212
--
A most definitely putrid day at the tables.
Down just over 5 buyins.
Absolutely nothing working yada yada yada.
With about 30 minutes left today, I got beat on 4 tables at the exact same time (over 1 buyin total). I started banging my keyboard (breaking the little plastic propping thing that tilts it up) and typing obscentities into chat. So I took this as a cue, a little hint, that maybe I should just hang it up today. Bad days will happen.
I've been moving upward lately, but I have not been running well. I have had one good day, flanked by multiple days on either side break-even or losing. Yada yada yada whatever.
--
A most definitely putrid day at the tables.
Down just over 5 buyins.
Absolutely nothing working yada yada yada.
With about 30 minutes left today, I got beat on 4 tables at the exact same time (over 1 buyin total). I started banging my keyboard (breaking the little plastic propping thing that tilts it up) and typing obscentities into chat. So I took this as a cue, a little hint, that maybe I should just hang it up today. Bad days will happen.
I've been moving upward lately, but I have not been running well. I have had one good day, flanked by multiple days on either side break-even or losing. Yada yada yada whatever.
10 March 2008 - Midday
One of the absolute nicest things about running bad, or having a bad session, is stopping. Its just such a relief to quit all the tables and go do something else for a while. I think this is only true if you are getting enough hands per day. When I was 4 tabling, I definitely was not getting enough quantity, and I was completely miserable every time I had a losing session. Now, 6-9 tabling, I can more easily shrug it off and enjoy being away from the tables. I am down just over 2 buyins at the midway point in the day, as I am off to do an errand.
I am Gold VIP status on Stars now, so FPPs accumulate at 2x. Barring anything unforseen (knock wood) I should hit Platinum status. I am hitting bonuses often now, I haven't done the calculations, but I think its like $50 every 3-4 days where I am right now.
--
Song of the Day: South of the Border by Chris Isaac
I am Gold VIP status on Stars now, so FPPs accumulate at 2x. Barring anything unforseen (knock wood) I should hit Platinum status. I am hitting bonuses often now, I haven't done the calculations, but I think its like $50 every 3-4 days where I am right now.
--
Song of the Day: South of the Border by Chris Isaac
domingo, 9 de marzo de 2008
Weekend Update
Out: $1474
I hit gold status and cleared the $50 bonus and ran +1.5 buyins on 1K hands. So a very nice day. Besides, I only 6 table on Sunday mornings, so it is very relaxing when things aren't going badly.
I hit gold status and cleared the $50 bonus and ran +1.5 buyins on 1K hands. So a very nice day. Besides, I only 6 table on Sunday mornings, so it is very relaxing when things aren't going badly.
viernes, 7 de marzo de 2008
7 March 2008 - Out
Out: $1339
--
Minus 2 buyins on 5K hands on an intensely frustrating day. Things were so bad, and I was so fatigued early that I took an hour and a half break. Evey time I got some momentum I got shot back down yada yada yada.
I should clear the $50 bonus on my Sunday morning 1K hands, so I guess not so bad to be down so little.
--
Songs of the Day: (songs I've been really liking on KCRW.com...) Belong by Jim Bianco, I Don't Live In A Dream by Jackie Green, This Is Not A Love Song by Novelle Vague, Use Me (w/ Pete Yorn etc.) on the Robin Danar disc
--
Minus 2 buyins on 5K hands on an intensely frustrating day. Things were so bad, and I was so fatigued early that I took an hour and a half break. Evey time I got some momentum I got shot back down yada yada yada.
I should clear the $50 bonus on my Sunday morning 1K hands, so I guess not so bad to be down so little.
--
Songs of the Day: (songs I've been really liking on KCRW.com...) Belong by Jim Bianco, I Don't Live In A Dream by Jackie Green, This Is Not A Love Song by Novelle Vague, Use Me (w/ Pete Yorn etc.) on the Robin Danar disc
jueves, 6 de marzo de 2008
6 March 2008 - Out
Out: $1444 ($50 bonus accumulated, not taken)
--
A truly monster day, almost 10 buyins. The patience through the sideswing is now starting to bear fruit, as I am only 5 buyins from NL100.
--
A truly monster day, almost 10 buyins. The patience through the sideswing is now starting to bear fruit, as I am only 5 buyins from NL100.
miércoles, 5 de marzo de 2008
5 March 2008 - Out
Out: $959
--
I moved on to NL50 today, and ran well early, and poorly late. All in all I was up 3 buyins at NL25 and 1.5 at NL50. So no complaints. There is a marked difference in the play between NL25 and NL50. NL25 has a lot of shot-taking, whereas at NL50 it seems to be more straightforward, maybe because the gravity of having more $ in front of you is starting to weigh on a lot of players. Also, the game is too big for people who bust their roll and end up with just $5 or $10 and want to try to work it back quickly.
That being said, I did run into problems later in the day maintaining good tables. I think I switched a lot more than I am used to. I 6-7 tabled all day, and only managed 3.7K hands on a day shortened by 1.5 hours. I was running really well at NL50 until my set ran into a straight and didn't fill up. After that it was 4-5 beats in a row to equal out the day. I will probably add some longhand tomorrow.
I did briefly pop over that magic quad-digit $1K mark, but failed to maintain it.
--
I moved on to NL50 today, and ran well early, and poorly late. All in all I was up 3 buyins at NL25 and 1.5 at NL50. So no complaints. There is a marked difference in the play between NL25 and NL50. NL25 has a lot of shot-taking, whereas at NL50 it seems to be more straightforward, maybe because the gravity of having more $ in front of you is starting to weigh on a lot of players. Also, the game is too big for people who bust their roll and end up with just $5 or $10 and want to try to work it back quickly.
That being said, I did run into problems later in the day maintaining good tables. I think I switched a lot more than I am used to. I 6-7 tabled all day, and only managed 3.7K hands on a day shortened by 1.5 hours. I was running really well at NL50 until my set ran into a straight and didn't fill up. After that it was 4-5 beats in a row to equal out the day. I will probably add some longhand tomorrow.
I did briefly pop over that magic quad-digit $1K mark, but failed to maintain it.
5 March 2008 - In
In: $823
--
I am writing this on my first "break" as I have cycled above $875 and am going to give NL50 a shot. I will start slowly 6 tabling, bringing on the 2-3 longhand tables tomorrow if things are going well/not bad. Interestingly enough, today started badly, as I was down 2 buyins, then within a stretch of 30 minutes or so, I got in about 5 really good opportunities, including a nice thin bet on the river, which is my concentration theme of the day.
--
Song of the Day: Older Chests by Damien Rice
--
I am writing this on my first "break" as I have cycled above $875 and am going to give NL50 a shot. I will start slowly 6 tabling, bringing on the 2-3 longhand tables tomorrow if things are going well/not bad. Interestingly enough, today started badly, as I was down 2 buyins, then within a stretch of 30 minutes or so, I got in about 5 really good opportunities, including a nice thin bet on the river, which is my concentration theme of the day.
--
Song of the Day: Older Chests by Damien Rice
martes, 4 de marzo de 2008
4 March 2008 - Out
Out: $823
--
5.8K hands and I win only 35% of my sessions, but after being down nearly 4 buyins, rally late to finish up $10. Its always better to go down then up instead of vice-versa.
--
5.8K hands and I win only 35% of my sessions, but after being down nearly 4 buyins, rally late to finish up $10. Its always better to go down then up instead of vice-versa.
lunes, 3 de marzo de 2008
4 March 2008 - In
In: $812
--
I am looking at two milestones approaching: a) the $875 mark to move to NL50 and b) $1000 for quad-digits. I am also working on an article about the whole process to submit to 2+2 magazine.
--
Song of the Day: Everyday Is Like Sunday by Morrissey
--
I am looking at two milestones approaching: a) the $875 mark to move to NL50 and b) $1000 for quad-digits. I am also working on an article about the whole process to submit to 2+2 magazine.
--
Song of the Day: Everyday Is Like Sunday by Morrissey
viernes, 29 de febrero de 2008
Thanks Dusty
Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain't all sunshine and rainbows. It is a very mean and nasty place and it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain't how hard you hit; it's about how hard you can get hit, and keep moving forward. How much you can take, and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done. Rocky.
Feb 2008 - Wrap
In: $154.59, Out: $800.32
Total Hands: 131,375
Win Rate: 3.27 PTBB/100
VPIP/PFR: 16/11 (The games are just too loose to expand on this.)
Levels: NL10, NL25
Hight Points:
1) Grinding through a 60K hand sideswing, 1000 BBs deep
2) Ending the month on an alltime high $800
3) Making my standard session 6-9 tables
Low Points:
1) The 60K hand side, 1000 BB down swing, which decimated my once proud winrate (6.5 PTBBs / 100 to under 3.0) and from which I am still recovering
Goals for March:
5K+ hands per day on 15 full days, 1K+ on 3 short days (Easter vacation takes 1 week out).
FYI - Jan 2008 Wrap
In: $0.00, Out: $154.59
Total Hands: 56,608
Win Rate: 3.81 PTBB/100
VPIP/PFR: 17/12
Levels: NL2, NL5, NL10, NL25
Hight Points:
1) Hitting triple digits, $100 for the first time
2) Running roughshod over NL10 in one day to break over $200.
3) Hitting over $300 playing NL25
Low Points:
1) Hitting $1.04 on day 6
2) A very bad run just when I was leaving iPoker which reduced my bankroll to something like $15.
3) A very bad sideways run, which I am currently still in, which is now in the 25K hand range.
Goal for Februrary: 50K hands on 20 playing days
Total Hands: 56,608
Win Rate: 3.81 PTBB/100
VPIP/PFR: 17/12
Levels: NL2, NL5, NL10, NL25
Hight Points:
1) Hitting triple digits, $100 for the first time
2) Running roughshod over NL10 in one day to break over $200.
3) Hitting over $300 playing NL25
Low Points:
1) Hitting $1.04 on day 6
2) A very bad run just when I was leaving iPoker which reduced my bankroll to something like $15.
3) A very bad sideways run, which I am currently still in, which is now in the 25K hand range.
Goal for Februrary: 50K hands on 20 playing days
Feb 2008 - Out
Out: $800
--
I haven't been running that well lately, winning only 39% and 43% of my sessions the last two days. But I've been lucky to be unlucky vs. the short stacks. I also had my first $50 FPP bonus on Stars, so I end the month on an up note. 130K hands. I will post a qwest summary over the weekend.
--
I haven't been running that well lately, winning only 39% and 43% of my sessions the last two days. But I've been lucky to be unlucky vs. the short stacks. I also had my first $50 FPP bonus on Stars, so I end the month on an up note. 130K hands. I will post a qwest summary over the weekend.
jueves, 28 de febrero de 2008
28 Feb 2008 - Out
Out: $727
Hit 5.8K hands today while running well in the AM and break-even the rest of the day. Getting a bit tired and not playing as well as I wanted late, so giving it up to get some rest. NL50, once a distant dream, is only 6 buyins away (I all but have 5000 FPPs, so really, the new limit is only 4 buyins away counting the $50 bonus I can buy)....
Hit 5.8K hands today while running well in the AM and break-even the rest of the day. Getting a bit tired and not playing as well as I wanted late, so giving it up to get some rest. NL50, once a distant dream, is only 6 buyins away (I all but have 5000 FPPs, so really, the new limit is only 4 buyins away counting the $50 bonus I can buy)....
miércoles, 27 de febrero de 2008
28 Feb 2008 - In
In: $624
--
Running up 9 buyins at a new higher level is nice, so is a 320BB pot from a guy who couldn't let go of top pair. Ya gotta enjoy the good timz, cuz they are few and far between sometimes.
If I can manager 1700 FPPs in 2 days I could get to Gold status. However, I don't think that's going to happen. At NL25 I am maybe 500-600 a day, so it looks like I will fall short. Next month for sure, though.
--
Song of the Day: Funny Little Frog by Belle & Sebastian
--
Running up 9 buyins at a new higher level is nice, so is a 320BB pot from a guy who couldn't let go of top pair. Ya gotta enjoy the good timz, cuz they are few and far between sometimes.
If I can manager 1700 FPPs in 2 days I could get to Gold status. However, I don't think that's going to happen. At NL25 I am maybe 500-600 a day, so it looks like I will fall short. Next month for sure, though.
--
Song of the Day: Funny Little Frog by Belle & Sebastian
Meanwhile at the Hold'Em Bar for Degenerate Poker Hands
Meanwhile at the Hold'Em Bar For Degenerate Poker Hands...
[AQs walks by, carrying a martini...]
KTo: OMG check out that action. What I could do with that sh**...
A9o: Give it up already. In the off chance that we're actually in auniverse where she knew you existed, which I *doubt*, and in the equallyoff chance that she gave you the time of day, which I *doubt*, you wouldstack off in about 7.3 seconds, ruining any future action.
KTo: Screw off dude, check it out, Matusow's on the tube.
A9o: He rules.
[Meanwhile a few feet away...]
46o: ...and we're so happy, and we're going to get married, and...
578o: Honey, don't forget to about our *brand* *new* minivan!
46o: Oh and we have picked the sweetest minivan, its blue and has GPS, and...
578o: Honey, you are so cute when you get excited! Let me kiss your nose.Don't forget about our birthing mentor...
46o: Oh and we have a new birthing mentor, her name is Space, and she is soooo.....
77: [under her breath] Why me? Why do I always get caught listening to hersickening stories? I'm going to barf.
[Near the dancefloor...]
AKs: Care to dance?
QJTs: I doubt it.
AKs: That's not what your eyes are telling me.
QJTs: Maybe I'm a liar.
AKs: Oh I doubt it.
QJTs: What makes you so sure of yourself?
AKs: Call it instinct. I think I've got a read on you...
QJTs: I *really* doubt it.
AKs: Well at least let me buy you a drink.
QJTs: I don't drink, in fact I'm very boring.
AKs: Somehow I doubt that.
QJTs: How could you know anything at all about me?
AKs: Sometimes two hands meet and there is a connection...
Maybe we should explore it further...
QJTs: Let's just start with the drink, shall we?
AKs: Hmmm, a little teaser bet...
QJTs: You smug bastard, how do you know we'd even be compatible?
AKs: I can just tell.
QJTs: [not very convincingly] Oh I doubt it....
[Heading out the door...]
A83: So first we bungee off the Space Needle, then head to the half-pipe?
88: Totally.
K52: We can stay with some friends of mine at the beach.
55: Not...
88: You mean...
[All together] Stoshman!!!
K52: I am so totally stoked.
55: Anyone up for some granola/carrot/red bull?...
[At a table in the corner...]
TTT: So we take 35% of your portfolio and put it in gold, 25% in pork bellies and the rest in Microsoft stock.
AA: Hmmm. I like the diversification, but gold is just too risky.
TTT: I thought you might say that, so I drew up a plan B.
AA: Leave it to you. Always well prepared.
TTT: That's why I manage your weath, Sir, only the best for you.
AA: Indeed. Plan B?
TTT: Argentinean junk bonds.
AA: Love it. Very sexy. Another scotch?....
[By the phone...]
45s: My life is over. Not worth living.
KK: Hang in there my friend. You are a premium suited connector.
45s: I'm crap. The only hand I've ever loved has dumped me.
KK: No, you mean...?
45s: Yep. 678 left me. For 9T. So bloody sophisticated. So bloody handsome.I'm just the freakin' idiot end.
KK: Hang in there man, just when you think things can't get-
45s: [interrupting] What? WHAT? I'm supposed to wait around for the bottom endof a FRICKIN' WHEEL? DO YOU KNOW WHAT THE ODDS ARE I'LL EVER FIND THAT?...
[At the entrance...]
JJ: I'm going to have to see some ID.
A6: [fumbling...] ummm...
AQ3: Sorry, I think we left it at home.
A6: Yeah, it's on my nightstand.
JJ: Sorry, can't let yall in.
A6: Please?
AQ3: C'mon man, you're not that much older than us, you know how it is...
JJ: I really can't.
A6: Got a fiver for ya dude....
AQ3: Whattya say, we won't cause any trouble...
JJ: [folding to the pressure, taking the $5] OK, but if anyone asks, your IDs got stolen.
[AQs walks by, carrying a martini...]
KTo: OMG check out that action. What I could do with that sh**...
A9o: Give it up already. In the off chance that we're actually in auniverse where she knew you existed, which I *doubt*, and in the equallyoff chance that she gave you the time of day, which I *doubt*, you wouldstack off in about 7.3 seconds, ruining any future action.
KTo: Screw off dude, check it out, Matusow's on the tube.
A9o: He rules.
[Meanwhile a few feet away...]
46o: ...and we're so happy, and we're going to get married, and...
578o: Honey, don't forget to about our *brand* *new* minivan!
46o: Oh and we have picked the sweetest minivan, its blue and has GPS, and...
578o: Honey, you are so cute when you get excited! Let me kiss your nose.Don't forget about our birthing mentor...
46o: Oh and we have a new birthing mentor, her name is Space, and she is soooo.....
77: [under her breath] Why me? Why do I always get caught listening to hersickening stories? I'm going to barf.
[Near the dancefloor...]
AKs: Care to dance?
QJTs: I doubt it.
AKs: That's not what your eyes are telling me.
QJTs: Maybe I'm a liar.
AKs: Oh I doubt it.
QJTs: What makes you so sure of yourself?
AKs: Call it instinct. I think I've got a read on you...
QJTs: I *really* doubt it.
AKs: Well at least let me buy you a drink.
QJTs: I don't drink, in fact I'm very boring.
AKs: Somehow I doubt that.
QJTs: How could you know anything at all about me?
AKs: Sometimes two hands meet and there is a connection...
Maybe we should explore it further...
QJTs: Let's just start with the drink, shall we?
AKs: Hmmm, a little teaser bet...
QJTs: You smug bastard, how do you know we'd even be compatible?
AKs: I can just tell.
QJTs: [not very convincingly] Oh I doubt it....
[Heading out the door...]
A83: So first we bungee off the Space Needle, then head to the half-pipe?
88: Totally.
K52: We can stay with some friends of mine at the beach.
55: Not...
88: You mean...
[All together] Stoshman!!!
K52: I am so totally stoked.
55: Anyone up for some granola/carrot/red bull?...
[At a table in the corner...]
TTT: So we take 35% of your portfolio and put it in gold, 25% in pork bellies and the rest in Microsoft stock.
AA: Hmmm. I like the diversification, but gold is just too risky.
TTT: I thought you might say that, so I drew up a plan B.
AA: Leave it to you. Always well prepared.
TTT: That's why I manage your weath, Sir, only the best for you.
AA: Indeed. Plan B?
TTT: Argentinean junk bonds.
AA: Love it. Very sexy. Another scotch?....
[By the phone...]
45s: My life is over. Not worth living.
KK: Hang in there my friend. You are a premium suited connector.
45s: I'm crap. The only hand I've ever loved has dumped me.
KK: No, you mean...?
45s: Yep. 678 left me. For 9T. So bloody sophisticated. So bloody handsome.I'm just the freakin' idiot end.
KK: Hang in there man, just when you think things can't get-
45s: [interrupting] What? WHAT? I'm supposed to wait around for the bottom endof a FRICKIN' WHEEL? DO YOU KNOW WHAT THE ODDS ARE I'LL EVER FIND THAT?...
[At the entrance...]
JJ: I'm going to have to see some ID.
A6: [fumbling...] ummm...
AQ3: Sorry, I think we left it at home.
A6: Yeah, it's on my nightstand.
JJ: Sorry, can't let yall in.
A6: Please?
AQ3: C'mon man, you're not that much older than us, you know how it is...
JJ: I really can't.
A6: Got a fiver for ya dude....
AQ3: Whattya say, we won't cause any trouble...
JJ: [folding to the pressure, taking the $5] OK, but if anyone asks, your IDs got stolen.
martes, 26 de febrero de 2008
27 Feb 2008 - In
In: $402
--
I hit my milestone of $438 and moved up to NL25, and the change was immediate. The games are more aggressive, yes, but the image I have is spastic. I don't know if its that I am running bad or not adjusting properly to the games, but I am very uncomfortable so far. Granted I have a very limited sample, but I certainly don't want to piss off what I've earned like the 2 other times I've given a shot to NL25. So today will be all about game selection, and probably no more than 6-tabling for the foreseeable future. My bailout level is $325, so about 3+ buyins away.
Song of the Day: One Tree Hill by U2
--
I hit my milestone of $438 and moved up to NL25, and the change was immediate. The games are more aggressive, yes, but the image I have is spastic. I don't know if its that I am running bad or not adjusting properly to the games, but I am very uncomfortable so far. Granted I have a very limited sample, but I certainly don't want to piss off what I've earned like the 2 other times I've given a shot to NL25. So today will be all about game selection, and probably no more than 6-tabling for the foreseeable future. My bailout level is $325, so about 3+ buyins away.
Song of the Day: One Tree Hill by U2
lunes, 25 de febrero de 2008
26 Feb 2008 - In
In: $410
--
I made Silver status on Stars yesterday, and had an up day.
I had a little time in the evening and played a $1 LHE and $1 5 card draw MTT. I placed in the LHE tourney for just about my combined entry fees. It seems that every time I play a MTT and get close I end up thinking "wow, that was an incredible waste of time." Draw is a strange little game with no up card information. The $438 NL25 is still iminently accessible on the nearterm horizon.
I've found that most creativity happens in periods of adversity. So since things are going OK for me right now, I don't really have any creative writing going, although I do have a couple of ideas.
--
Song of the Day: I wanted to mention a couple of Spanish pop songs. I think the exoticness of a song in a different language is interesting, because if you listen to the English songs that the Spanish like, for example, you find yourself saying "yuck! that's crap." So it would be interesting to hear how a Spaniard likes the Spanish songs I like.... probably not as much since the exoticness is lost. Anyway, these are from a compilation from a couple of years ago, and are just good pop songs:
Morena Mia by Miguel Bose (the bass and the vocal impression are just wonderful), La Playa by La Oreja de Van Gogh (nice vocals and melody), Siempre by Duncan Dhu (pure pop, maybe even a wedding-type song)
--
I made Silver status on Stars yesterday, and had an up day.
I had a little time in the evening and played a $1 LHE and $1 5 card draw MTT. I placed in the LHE tourney for just about my combined entry fees. It seems that every time I play a MTT and get close I end up thinking "wow, that was an incredible waste of time." Draw is a strange little game with no up card information. The $438 NL25 is still iminently accessible on the nearterm horizon.
I've found that most creativity happens in periods of adversity. So since things are going OK for me right now, I don't really have any creative writing going, although I do have a couple of ideas.
--
Song of the Day: I wanted to mention a couple of Spanish pop songs. I think the exoticness of a song in a different language is interesting, because if you listen to the English songs that the Spanish like, for example, you find yourself saying "yuck! that's crap." So it would be interesting to hear how a Spaniard likes the Spanish songs I like.... probably not as much since the exoticness is lost. Anyway, these are from a compilation from a couple of years ago, and are just good pop songs:
Morena Mia by Miguel Bose (the bass and the vocal impression are just wonderful), La Playa by La Oreja de Van Gogh (nice vocals and melody), Siempre by Duncan Dhu (pure pop, maybe even a wedding-type song)
domingo, 24 de febrero de 2008
25 Feb 2008 - In
In: $358
--
With 4 playing days left in February I can reasonably expect about 25K more hands, bringing my total up to about 135K. With the Semana Santa/Easter holiday next month, I am stockpiling hands (like a woodchuck bloating his cheeks).
I will almost surely hit Silver FPP status today, and start accumulating FPPs at 1.5x.
Last night was the Stox February freeroll which I bust out of in 10th/60 with AK vs. 87s.
--
Song of the Day: Memphis in the Meantime by John Hiatt
--
With 4 playing days left in February I can reasonably expect about 25K more hands, bringing my total up to about 135K. With the Semana Santa/Easter holiday next month, I am stockpiling hands (like a woodchuck bloating his cheeks).
I will almost surely hit Silver FPP status today, and start accumulating FPPs at 1.5x.
Last night was the Stox February freeroll which I bust out of in 10th/60 with AK vs. 87s.
--
Song of the Day: Memphis in the Meantime by John Hiatt
23-24 Feb 2008 - Weekend Update
Played 2 MTTs and 1K hands Sunday.
Won a total of 1 hand in the 2 MTTs.
Stacked off to 2 x to set-over-sets and 1 x to flopped-flush-over-flopped-flush in cash play.
Down 3.5 buyins on the weekend.
This day couldn't have gone worse, well, it could have, but....
There is really no use in playing against the drunk Saturday-nighters if you are not hitting hands and hitting second best hands.
Out: $358
Song of the Weekend: Lost Weekend by Lloyd Cole & The Commotions
Won a total of 1 hand in the 2 MTTs.
Stacked off to 2 x to set-over-sets and 1 x to flopped-flush-over-flopped-flush in cash play.
Down 3.5 buyins on the weekend.
This day couldn't have gone worse, well, it could have, but....
There is really no use in playing against the drunk Saturday-nighters if you are not hitting hands and hitting second best hands.
Out: $358
Song of the Weekend: Lost Weekend by Lloyd Cole & The Commotions
viernes, 22 de febrero de 2008
22 Feb 2008 - Out
Out: $392
5K hands and another good day. I am standing at 110K hands for the qwest. $438 is the break point to move up to NL25. I should hit Silver FPP status on Monday. Have a good weekend.
5K hands and another good day. I am standing at 110K hands for the qwest. $438 is the break point to move up to NL25. I should hit Silver FPP status on Monday. Have a good weekend.
jueves, 21 de febrero de 2008
22 Feb 2008 - In
In: $338
--
Great day yesterday, up 8 buyins on 5K hands. I had quads paid off (wow!). And I ran well, despite paying off quads and a better full-house (set-over-set) myself.
During the day I blew past 100K hands for the qwest, so that was definitely nice. Barring any events that would cause an interruption in play, I will easily hit silver status on Stars (FPPs). So in the next little bit I can count on the $50 bonus as I go past 5000 FPPs.
Stars does not have rakeback, but really, the game selection is just so incredible. Most other sites, like UB for example, have maybe 10 shorthand games going, whereas Stars has probably 50 or more.
One thing that is interesting is that I play during the Euro day, so I am seemingly up against a lot of (drunk?) Australians. I got on one table yesterday, and this one guy had stats of 100/0, and his aggression by streets was 11/60/71. I don't usually like to get it all-in pre-flop with JJs, but I did, and even though an A fell on the turn, I tripled up as both callers had complete junk.
--
Song of the Day: Deep and Wide and Tall by Aztec Camera
--
Great day yesterday, up 8 buyins on 5K hands. I had quads paid off (wow!). And I ran well, despite paying off quads and a better full-house (set-over-set) myself.
During the day I blew past 100K hands for the qwest, so that was definitely nice. Barring any events that would cause an interruption in play, I will easily hit silver status on Stars (FPPs). So in the next little bit I can count on the $50 bonus as I go past 5000 FPPs.
Stars does not have rakeback, but really, the game selection is just so incredible. Most other sites, like UB for example, have maybe 10 shorthand games going, whereas Stars has probably 50 or more.
One thing that is interesting is that I play during the Euro day, so I am seemingly up against a lot of (drunk?) Australians. I got on one table yesterday, and this one guy had stats of 100/0, and his aggression by streets was 11/60/71. I don't usually like to get it all-in pre-flop with JJs, but I did, and even though an A fell on the turn, I tripled up as both callers had complete junk.
--
Song of the Day: Deep and Wide and Tall by Aztec Camera
miércoles, 20 de febrero de 2008
21 Feb 2008 - In
In: $258
--
Yesterday I was up $1 total on 4.5K hands. Not so bad considering that generally it was a bad day, with me shortly going down 4.5 buyins. I grinded my way back, and it ended up a wash. I had a number of plays yesterday (not all-ins) that I would have liked to take back and reconsider. I was a bit tired and preoccupied, so I can't complain to end up where I did.
I have hit 99K hands for the qwest, and again can state that with 1-2 running good days I can probably claim that the sideswing is over, but if I dip down again.... ugh.
I will most probably hit Silver FPP status on Stars this month, but unless I run very well, won't have quite enough for the $50 bonus.
--
Haiku of the day:
The coffee is cold
I am battered, I feel old
The bridge needs repair
--
Song of the Day: Rain in the Summertime by The Alarm
--
Yesterday I was up $1 total on 4.5K hands. Not so bad considering that generally it was a bad day, with me shortly going down 4.5 buyins. I grinded my way back, and it ended up a wash. I had a number of plays yesterday (not all-ins) that I would have liked to take back and reconsider. I was a bit tired and preoccupied, so I can't complain to end up where I did.
I have hit 99K hands for the qwest, and again can state that with 1-2 running good days I can probably claim that the sideswing is over, but if I dip down again.... ugh.
I will most probably hit Silver FPP status on Stars this month, but unless I run very well, won't have quite enough for the $50 bonus.
--
Haiku of the day:
The coffee is cold
I am battered, I feel old
The bridge needs repair
--
Song of the Day: Rain in the Summertime by The Alarm
martes, 19 de febrero de 2008
20 Feb 2008 - In
In: $257
--
I ran well yesterday, 8.5 PTBBs/100 on a personal best of 5K hands. I am 9 tabling now, 4 short and 5 long, for 8 hours, and this is going to be my standard day. I am again at the point where, if I run well again today, I could make the claim that the sideswing is over. If not....
It was my first day logging so many hands, and I was definitely a little bit punchy towards the end. It was a good day in that I don't remember any hands that I wanted back (overtly misplayed), and I only remember 1 mental error (folding a straight in an unraised pot), so overall not so bad. I was getting a lot of action on my premiums pre-flop, and its really nice to count on pocket aces 20+ times a day. In fact, 2 days ago, when I ran bad, I was actually very lucky because at least 5-6 times I got my money in vs. a short stack and said to myself I would have liked to have more $ in the pot, only to get outdrawn or be up against a bigger hand. So I try to notice these fortunate circumstances when they occur, even though I am losing at the time.
I have found that I play much better with music in the background. I don't know why, maybe because it feels so lonely without it. I stream KCRW's Morning Becomes Eclectic and I go through it usually 3 times (it runs just under 3 hours).
--
Song of the day: Anne Litt was sitting in for Nick Harcourt yesterday on MBE and she played a beautiful piece of Hawaiian guitar by Israel 'Iz' Kamakawiwo'ole called Hanohano Wale No Na Cowboy And Ka Huila Wai. I have been into this kind of thing lately, and it sounded great. I usually dont like it when Nick doesnt host the show, but this one was really good.
--
I ran well yesterday, 8.5 PTBBs/100 on a personal best of 5K hands. I am 9 tabling now, 4 short and 5 long, for 8 hours, and this is going to be my standard day. I am again at the point where, if I run well again today, I could make the claim that the sideswing is over. If not....
It was my first day logging so many hands, and I was definitely a little bit punchy towards the end. It was a good day in that I don't remember any hands that I wanted back (overtly misplayed), and I only remember 1 mental error (folding a straight in an unraised pot), so overall not so bad. I was getting a lot of action on my premiums pre-flop, and its really nice to count on pocket aces 20+ times a day. In fact, 2 days ago, when I ran bad, I was actually very lucky because at least 5-6 times I got my money in vs. a short stack and said to myself I would have liked to have more $ in the pot, only to get outdrawn or be up against a bigger hand. So I try to notice these fortunate circumstances when they occur, even though I am losing at the time.
I have found that I play much better with music in the background. I don't know why, maybe because it feels so lonely without it. I stream KCRW's Morning Becomes Eclectic and I go through it usually 3 times (it runs just under 3 hours).
--
Song of the day: Anne Litt was sitting in for Nick Harcourt yesterday on MBE and she played a beautiful piece of Hawaiian guitar by Israel 'Iz' Kamakawiwo'ole called Hanohano Wale No Na Cowboy And Ka Huila Wai. I have been into this kind of thing lately, and it sounded great. I usually dont like it when Nick doesnt host the show, but this one was really good.
lunes, 18 de febrero de 2008
19 Feb 2008 - In
In: $171
A bad day yesterday on 4175 hands. I have a splitting headache this morning. I watched a training video earlier. My state of mind is deteriorating, I am very depressed and I really need to make some progress soon. Its funny, you try so hard. Try to do the right thing. And people piss on you.
A bad day yesterday on 4175 hands. I have a splitting headache this morning. I watched a training video earlier. My state of mind is deteriorating, I am very depressed and I really need to make some progress soon. Its funny, you try so hard. Try to do the right thing. And people piss on you.
domingo, 17 de febrero de 2008
18 Feb 2008 - In
In: $218
--
My PAHud grid is:
VP$IP / PFR / # Hands
Attempts to steal / Folds BB to steal / Folds to Cbet
Flop Agg / Turn Agg / River Agg
I use the same 9 item tic-tac-toe grid all the time to get used to seeing it.
--
I am 9 tabling this week, and my goal is 4.5K+ hands / day.
I am at the point where I have not run well for a long time, and I am losing that mindset.
Kind of like expecting to flatline/lose.
To combat these feelings I have developed focusing routines using checklists for before / during / after.
--
Song of the Day: No Myth by Michael Penn (acoustic guitar version, the one with the cello in it).
--
My PAHud grid is:
VP$IP / PFR / # Hands
Attempts to steal / Folds BB to steal / Folds to Cbet
Flop Agg / Turn Agg / River Agg
I use the same 9 item tic-tac-toe grid all the time to get used to seeing it.
--
I am 9 tabling this week, and my goal is 4.5K+ hands / day.
I am at the point where I have not run well for a long time, and I am losing that mindset.
Kind of like expecting to flatline/lose.
To combat these feelings I have developed focusing routines using checklists for before / during / after.
--
Song of the Day: No Myth by Michael Penn (acoustic guitar version, the one with the cello in it).
sábado, 16 de febrero de 2008
Weekend Update
I am now targeting an additional 314.5K hands to go with my 84.5K hands to round out May with 399K hands. There are 75 playing days and 15 Sunday mornings. I am planning 67 days and 14 Sunday mornings. In June I will be moving, and if I achieve my goals, I think I will probably take a little bit of time off.
Working with some numbers, my goals are really centered around having about 525K hands by that time. Given the current parameters, I don't think I can hit that mark. Early in the run, running BBs are cheap, so I am considering depositing about $1K, which will make up the difference. This would change the concept of my run, but I think I have to think in terms of what's best in the long run.
I played a $5.xx 6 seater SnG on Stars while riding the exercise bike yesterday (left-handed on the mouse) and pulled out a 2nd even though I was just playing very straightforward.
--
Album of the Weekend: Kind Of Blue by Miles Davis
Working with some numbers, my goals are really centered around having about 525K hands by that time. Given the current parameters, I don't think I can hit that mark. Early in the run, running BBs are cheap, so I am considering depositing about $1K, which will make up the difference. This would change the concept of my run, but I think I have to think in terms of what's best in the long run.
I played a $5.xx 6 seater SnG on Stars while riding the exercise bike yesterday (left-handed on the mouse) and pulled out a 2nd even though I was just playing very straightforward.
--
Album of the Weekend: Kind Of Blue by Miles Davis
viernes, 15 de febrero de 2008
15 Feb 2008 - Out
Out: $235
I had another losing day, now 2 in a row. I finished up down 2.5 buyins, which isn't too bad given that I was down almost 5 with about an hour left. Things are just not going well for me. I got my $ in a ginormous pot with a set, but one of my opponents rivered a better set. Those things happen.
I have decided to redouble my efforts. I was 4-6 tabling, but now I am on 8. 4 short and 4 long. I hit 3800 hands today on half the day4 tabling and half 8 tabling. So I am going to shoot for 4500+ hands per day from now on. I think then I can target maybe 350K hands by end of may instead of 250K.
The variance is very hard to take. I was up at $350 on Jan 21st. The was the high point when the sh** hit the fan, and I was bumped all the way down to $120. So $230 isn't so bad, its just the mental thing of I've been here before, doing work I've already done yada yada yada I get so sick of my own voice.
A lot of times this isn't very enjoyable. I am still running at 6 BBs per 100, but I have lost more at the higher levels than the lower. So while I continue to screw around at the lower levels it is just an incredible amount of aggravation for the amount of money made. I am sure the higher levels will bring their own problems.
I have thought seriously about quitting this blog. I feel in a lot of ways its just a distraction. But it is therapy for me to write about it. This effort is a lot of work.
I had another losing day, now 2 in a row. I finished up down 2.5 buyins, which isn't too bad given that I was down almost 5 with about an hour left. Things are just not going well for me. I got my $ in a ginormous pot with a set, but one of my opponents rivered a better set. Those things happen.
I have decided to redouble my efforts. I was 4-6 tabling, but now I am on 8. 4 short and 4 long. I hit 3800 hands today on half the day4 tabling and half 8 tabling. So I am going to shoot for 4500+ hands per day from now on. I think then I can target maybe 350K hands by end of may instead of 250K.
The variance is very hard to take. I was up at $350 on Jan 21st. The was the high point when the sh** hit the fan, and I was bumped all the way down to $120. So $230 isn't so bad, its just the mental thing of I've been here before, doing work I've already done yada yada yada I get so sick of my own voice.
A lot of times this isn't very enjoyable. I am still running at 6 BBs per 100, but I have lost more at the higher levels than the lower. So while I continue to screw around at the lower levels it is just an incredible amount of aggravation for the amount of money made. I am sure the higher levels will bring their own problems.
I have thought seriously about quitting this blog. I feel in a lot of ways its just a distraction. But it is therapy for me to write about it. This effort is a lot of work.
Rocks
How do rocks get in your shoes? My shoes are snug around my ankes, and when I walk across a gravelly field, I get rocks in them. But when you think about it, the rock would have had to get kicked up and land in the nook between your shoe and your leg/ankle, and then work its way down. Certainly this would be detectable, but no one every notices it. Just the sting when it works its way to your heel. Plus the fact that your pant leg covers the area.
--
Poker Stars is rebooting today without kicking off everyone. Great job, and nice improvement over the other day. Errr, I spoke too soon. This isn't good.
--
I said something about attitude the other day, if you want a great point/counterpoint to what I mean, check out the interviews on KCRW.com of Arctic Monkeys vs. Ben Harper.
--
Poker Stars is rebooting today without kicking off everyone. Great job, and nice improvement over the other day. Errr, I spoke too soon. This isn't good.
--
I said something about attitude the other day, if you want a great point/counterpoint to what I mean, check out the interviews on KCRW.com of Arctic Monkeys vs. Ben Harper.
jueves, 14 de febrero de 2008
15 Feb 2008 - In
In: $260
Obviously yesterday's out should have read $273. I lost $13 playing razz late, I thought it would be a nice change of pace because a friend had tried it to clear his mind. It didn't go too well for me and I just gave it up.
I am really at the point of feeling very ambivalent towards a lot of things. Writing in this blog is therapeutic for me, because I can release pent up emotions. But the way I feel is really that fighting for what you believe in is just a waste of time and a way to make enemies. Maybe its just better to pursue your own maximizing agenda and tell everyone else to just go away.
I'm feeling a lot of pressure, and I am going to experiment with 6 tabling all the time. 4 short hand tables, and 2 full. I need to increase my output consistently to over 3000 hands per day even though I have on average 1 hour less per day. I feel burnout coming on but I just have to get over it. Yesterday was such a waste of time day. These kind of days really scare me. Maybe I have to shoot for 4000 hands per day. I dunno.
--
Song of the Day: World Shut Your Mouth by Julian Cope
Obviously yesterday's out should have read $273. I lost $13 playing razz late, I thought it would be a nice change of pace because a friend had tried it to clear his mind. It didn't go too well for me and I just gave it up.
I am really at the point of feeling very ambivalent towards a lot of things. Writing in this blog is therapeutic for me, because I can release pent up emotions. But the way I feel is really that fighting for what you believe in is just a waste of time and a way to make enemies. Maybe its just better to pursue your own maximizing agenda and tell everyone else to just go away.
I'm feeling a lot of pressure, and I am going to experiment with 6 tabling all the time. 4 short hand tables, and 2 full. I need to increase my output consistently to over 3000 hands per day even though I have on average 1 hour less per day. I feel burnout coming on but I just have to get over it. Yesterday was such a waste of time day. These kind of days really scare me. Maybe I have to shoot for 4000 hands per day. I dunno.
--
Song of the Day: World Shut Your Mouth by Julian Cope
14 Feb 2008 - Out
Out: $173
--
Just a day where you spin your wheels all day. Up against better hands all day. Yada yada yada. Its not too bad to have an awful day and only be down 1.3 buyins.
--
Just a day where you spin your wheels all day. Up against better hands all day. Yada yada yada. Its not too bad to have an awful day and only be down 1.3 buyins.
Pulling out of a sideways swing?
Here is my graph of about 80K hands, the run to date. The graph shows running BBs won. As you can see, I am potentially pulling out of a sideways run. If it sticks, it will be on the order of 50K hands and 1000 BBs. Leatherass, on the stoxpoker site, posted his first 1M hands at high stakes, and showed a 100K 30 buyin sideswing, so I suppose this make mine half-assed.
14 Feb 2008 - In
In: $286
--
I happened to be on Cardrunners reading Brian Townsend's blog, the one where he is pulled over for speeding after 4 beers. Without comment directly on that, it occurs to me that many people achieve great success young in their lives, but don't really have a lot of experience.
I can point to a singer like Diana Krall, who is insanely talented, but at such a young age, her voice does not really have the, I don't know, character maybe, of an older singer. Its the way in which you approach something that shades it towards the life experiences that you have had. And frankly, when you are young, you just haven't had a great quantity of experiences.
That said, being young and being successful bears with it a certain responsibility to behave beyond your years. Look at a band like the Arctic Monkeys, who after learning their respective instruments for about 4 years, became insanely popular. Then look at their attitudes on video interviews on KCRW. Their demeanor is excusable, because they are so young. But god, what jackasses.
--
Song of the day: Hey Ya by Outkast
--
I happened to be on Cardrunners reading Brian Townsend's blog, the one where he is pulled over for speeding after 4 beers. Without comment directly on that, it occurs to me that many people achieve great success young in their lives, but don't really have a lot of experience.
I can point to a singer like Diana Krall, who is insanely talented, but at such a young age, her voice does not really have the, I don't know, character maybe, of an older singer. Its the way in which you approach something that shades it towards the life experiences that you have had. And frankly, when you are young, you just haven't had a great quantity of experiences.
That said, being young and being successful bears with it a certain responsibility to behave beyond your years. Look at a band like the Arctic Monkeys, who after learning their respective instruments for about 4 years, became insanely popular. Then look at their attitudes on video interviews on KCRW. Their demeanor is excusable, because they are so young. But god, what jackasses.
--
Song of the day: Hey Ya by Outkast
miércoles, 13 de febrero de 2008
13 Feb 2008 - Out
Out: $286
I had a short day, just under 2K hands, but I ran well. I am recovered, at least for the moment, from my downswing, so that is good. I am also on track for the $40K, 5 month qwest.
I had a short day, just under 2K hands, but I ran well. I am recovered, at least for the moment, from my downswing, so that is good. I am also on track for the $40K, 5 month qwest.
13 Feb 2008 - In
Well, for various reasons, this is my new home for the blog.
--
IN: $223
--
I wanted to talk about a hand, and tell you what I decided to do and why.
You have a rag flush in a family pot, and you bet pot on the flop to charge any singleton draws the max. The villian pushes 150 BB effective stacks. You remember the villian has pushed on you not more than 10 hands ago. Your play?
In analyzing this hand, I thought that the chance of a stone bluff was about zero. If the villian has a set or a singleton (which I am assuming is always better than my rags) then he is drawing to something like 1/3 equity. If the villian has a flush with me, then I am drawing dead.The proper play depends on the conditional probability you assign to the event: given that the villian has pushed, what percent of the time does he have a flush with you?
Unfortunately this probability is impossible to calculate.
You can calculate the probability that the villian has a flush with you. But you cannot calculate the probability that he has a flush with you given that he has pushed.
So at the table, my analysis goes like this: best case, I am a 2-1 favorite, and worst case I have 0 equity. Given any reasonable percent for the villian having a flush with me, and my best case equity looks like 50%, at best. However, given that the villian has already pushed on me once recently, I am giving credence to a lesser hand.
I was deep in the shades of gray.
Here's how I broke the deadlock.
What would happen if I called and won with the most likely holding, him having one suit? I would feel, honestly, like I escaped a tornado. Shell-shocked and certainly relieved. We are 150 bbs deep and that is a lot to call off.
What would happen if I called and lost to a better flopped flush? I would feel awful. I was up for the day about the amount that was on the table, and to donk it off in such a manner would be mentally devastating.
Taking the psychological factors into consideration, I folded. In the muck I find AJ off, with the A being of the proper suit. So I folded 2/3 equity in a monster pot with the best hand. I think I made the right play given the information at hand.
--
Another day at the grind NL10. I shoud hit 80K hands total for the qwest today.
--
Song of the Day: Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain by Willie Nelson
--
IN: $223
--
I wanted to talk about a hand, and tell you what I decided to do and why.
You have a rag flush in a family pot, and you bet pot on the flop to charge any singleton draws the max. The villian pushes 150 BB effective stacks. You remember the villian has pushed on you not more than 10 hands ago. Your play?
In analyzing this hand, I thought that the chance of a stone bluff was about zero. If the villian has a set or a singleton (which I am assuming is always better than my rags) then he is drawing to something like 1/3 equity. If the villian has a flush with me, then I am drawing dead.The proper play depends on the conditional probability you assign to the event: given that the villian has pushed, what percent of the time does he have a flush with you?
Unfortunately this probability is impossible to calculate.
You can calculate the probability that the villian has a flush with you. But you cannot calculate the probability that he has a flush with you given that he has pushed.
So at the table, my analysis goes like this: best case, I am a 2-1 favorite, and worst case I have 0 equity. Given any reasonable percent for the villian having a flush with me, and my best case equity looks like 50%, at best. However, given that the villian has already pushed on me once recently, I am giving credence to a lesser hand.
I was deep in the shades of gray.
Here's how I broke the deadlock.
What would happen if I called and won with the most likely holding, him having one suit? I would feel, honestly, like I escaped a tornado. Shell-shocked and certainly relieved. We are 150 bbs deep and that is a lot to call off.
What would happen if I called and lost to a better flopped flush? I would feel awful. I was up for the day about the amount that was on the table, and to donk it off in such a manner would be mentally devastating.
Taking the psychological factors into consideration, I folded. In the muck I find AJ off, with the A being of the proper suit. So I folded 2/3 equity in a monster pot with the best hand. I think I made the right play given the information at hand.
--
Another day at the grind NL10. I shoud hit 80K hands total for the qwest today.
--
Song of the Day: Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain by Willie Nelson
miércoles, 6 de febrero de 2008
Feb 7
Well, I found out that I can claim a partial bonus on Eurolinx. That is good news. So I will play out the rest of the week here, then cash out. The software is just atrocious. I time out about 20 times a day, then they make me either pay a small blind or wait - even though I have not missed a blind.
I really don't know whether to consider myself lucky or unlucky. The reason is that the run I am on is awful. But for the last 3 days, I have only lost about $30 when you factor in the bonus. So that is not so bad. If I were on a site without a bonus, I would be hurting (more).
As always, I approach the day optimistic. I am looking forward to being back on Stars next week.
I really don't know whether to consider myself lucky or unlucky. The reason is that the run I am on is awful. But for the last 3 days, I have only lost about $30 when you factor in the bonus. So that is not so bad. If I were on a site without a bonus, I would be hurting (more).
As always, I approach the day optimistic. I am looking forward to being back on Stars next week.
Your Unique Trajectory Thru The Cosmos
Penny for your thoughts?
OK, its 5AM and I can't sleep, so what the hey.
I once did a simulation of flipping a coin. I kept track of the total number of heads versus the total number of tails. Of course, what I expected to see was that the total number of heads and the total number of tails would take turns being in the lead, weaving back and forth to form a graphical helix extending into infinity. That is exactly what I found and exactly what I did not find.
At first, when I looked at the results, I thought I had an error in the program. Graphs of about 1 million samples showed a strange anomoly. There would be some initial weaving, and then the heads and tails would diverge for good. How strange, thought I.
I should mention, in part, the reason I think this experiment is useful is that in many ways it simulates two otherwise equal poker players.
So anyhoo, I get more into the simulation, and let it run longer, looking specifically at the zero transition points. That is to say, the points in which we have exactly in 3 samples: a heads + balance, zero balance, a tails + balance, or vice-versa. The points when the lead changes.What I found is so ingrained upon my mind that I will never forget it. Simply stated an aggregate advantage for heads or tails can last 100s of millions of flips.This absolutely blew me away.And what is really strange is that it seems common for, after some initial posturing, the trial to resort into this kind of diversion.
But then I realized it was my preconception that was at play. I was expecting the length of time for the weaving to be, oh I don't know, something reasonable, like 100 or 200. But the average frequency of the oscillation turns out to be much higher. Much much higher.I also think a lot about hard questions.
It seems that a lot of times we are faced with not-very-clear-cut questions that are impossibly cast into shades of grey. Take for example the question that relates to two siblings: "why must you two always fight?" Notwithstanding the cottage industry of dubious self-help books and fly-by-night Oprah wannabees offering a solution to the problem I would submit that the the problem is in the question.It is malformed.A malformed question has no proper answer. 2+2=4. But what is 4? 4 is 2+2 but also 3+1 and 9-5. 4 is malformed. "Why must you two always fight?" is malformed insofar as we can cast a meta questions "What can we do to prevent you two from fighting?" that renders the original question mute. I personally think a lot of questions that thinkers and poets struggle with can be recast with a meta-question, however I won't even mention them since a lot of them touch on very sensitive subjects that a lot of people have intense feelings upon.
Why must I go through a losing streak of this breadth and width, one in which given my play is clearly inappropriate, one in which after 2 weeks and more is causing me physical symptoms?Questions like these are difficult. One reason is that good players keep emotions like these bottled up so not to expose an achilles heel to potential adversaries. Another reason is that even if they were to open up their feelings what they had to say wouldn't make much sense- it would probably sound like "variance yada yada yada variance yada yada yada."
Anyone who has studied statistics in any way knows that when results are aggregated they form a distribution. One of the most disturbing facts of a distribution is that the unluckiest man in the world is a statistical necessity, as is the luckiest.
Many people, including me, are hoping that poker will provide a career path in light of alternatives that are personally revolting. Unfortunately, this desire only acts as extra baggage to shade our play. Instead of making the open-minded cold-blooded play, we are forever shaded toward the hopeful play. Even if its just a little, its always there. I think his actions represent an overpair turns into, in some percentage or another, I think his actions represent an overpair but I hope I'm wrong.
Losing streaks can be emotionally damaging, not to mention extremely lonely times. If you need a friend, I'm sailing right behind. Like a bridge over troubled water, I will ease your mind. Do you ever notice how many beautiful things there are in the world? I have in my mind one maybe 5 second stretch of "Diamonds in the Soles of her Shoes" by Paul Simon where his voice is nothing short of angelic. I don't even want to ever hear the song again because it certainly could not live up to the image in my mind.
Well, the coffee's done and its time to put away last night's dishes.
Suerte.
OK, its 5AM and I can't sleep, so what the hey.
I once did a simulation of flipping a coin. I kept track of the total number of heads versus the total number of tails. Of course, what I expected to see was that the total number of heads and the total number of tails would take turns being in the lead, weaving back and forth to form a graphical helix extending into infinity. That is exactly what I found and exactly what I did not find.
At first, when I looked at the results, I thought I had an error in the program. Graphs of about 1 million samples showed a strange anomoly. There would be some initial weaving, and then the heads and tails would diverge for good. How strange, thought I.
I should mention, in part, the reason I think this experiment is useful is that in many ways it simulates two otherwise equal poker players.
So anyhoo, I get more into the simulation, and let it run longer, looking specifically at the zero transition points. That is to say, the points in which we have exactly in 3 samples: a heads + balance, zero balance, a tails + balance, or vice-versa. The points when the lead changes.What I found is so ingrained upon my mind that I will never forget it. Simply stated an aggregate advantage for heads or tails can last 100s of millions of flips.This absolutely blew me away.And what is really strange is that it seems common for, after some initial posturing, the trial to resort into this kind of diversion.
But then I realized it was my preconception that was at play. I was expecting the length of time for the weaving to be, oh I don't know, something reasonable, like 100 or 200. But the average frequency of the oscillation turns out to be much higher. Much much higher.I also think a lot about hard questions.
It seems that a lot of times we are faced with not-very-clear-cut questions that are impossibly cast into shades of grey. Take for example the question that relates to two siblings: "why must you two always fight?" Notwithstanding the cottage industry of dubious self-help books and fly-by-night Oprah wannabees offering a solution to the problem I would submit that the the problem is in the question.It is malformed.A malformed question has no proper answer. 2+2=4. But what is 4? 4 is 2+2 but also 3+1 and 9-5. 4 is malformed. "Why must you two always fight?" is malformed insofar as we can cast a meta questions "What can we do to prevent you two from fighting?" that renders the original question mute. I personally think a lot of questions that thinkers and poets struggle with can be recast with a meta-question, however I won't even mention them since a lot of them touch on very sensitive subjects that a lot of people have intense feelings upon.
Why must I go through a losing streak of this breadth and width, one in which given my play is clearly inappropriate, one in which after 2 weeks and more is causing me physical symptoms?Questions like these are difficult. One reason is that good players keep emotions like these bottled up so not to expose an achilles heel to potential adversaries. Another reason is that even if they were to open up their feelings what they had to say wouldn't make much sense- it would probably sound like "variance yada yada yada variance yada yada yada."
Anyone who has studied statistics in any way knows that when results are aggregated they form a distribution. One of the most disturbing facts of a distribution is that the unluckiest man in the world is a statistical necessity, as is the luckiest.
Many people, including me, are hoping that poker will provide a career path in light of alternatives that are personally revolting. Unfortunately, this desire only acts as extra baggage to shade our play. Instead of making the open-minded cold-blooded play, we are forever shaded toward the hopeful play. Even if its just a little, its always there. I think his actions represent an overpair turns into, in some percentage or another, I think his actions represent an overpair but I hope I'm wrong.
Losing streaks can be emotionally damaging, not to mention extremely lonely times. If you need a friend, I'm sailing right behind. Like a bridge over troubled water, I will ease your mind. Do you ever notice how many beautiful things there are in the world? I have in my mind one maybe 5 second stretch of "Diamonds in the Soles of her Shoes" by Paul Simon where his voice is nothing short of angelic. I don't even want to ever hear the song again because it certainly could not live up to the image in my mind.
Well, the coffee's done and its time to put away last night's dishes.
Suerte.
lunes, 4 de febrero de 2008
4 Feb 2008
Today was my first full day on Eurolinx. By and large the biggest issue is the quality of the software, which is awful. The software froze on me twice, and the screens are so poorly designed it takes about 3 seconds of focus each time your eyes switch tables to figure out where you are and what the status of the hand is. It is just mentally exhausting.
On the positive side, I found my old license for PAHud, and have it up and running. Since the Ranger realtime client does not run on Eurolinx, this is great news. On the negative side, the screens are so small, it really does make a clutter.
The players are quite a bit different also, most noticeable being the larger pre-flop bet sizes, often in the 5-8 BB range, as opposed to the standard 3.5 BBs. I think it is in a large part what Harrington calls the fear of flopping, that is to say they are afraid they won't know what to do once they miss the flop, so they overbet pre-flop, and hope to take it down then. Also apparent is a complete over-aggressive style by a lot of players. They seem to think that once you check, the pot is theirs for the bettings. Needless to say, this can be exploited.
I totalled almost 2300 hands on a slightly shortened day, running poorly, average, and finishing poorly. My sideways run has shown no signs of abating, and it is starting to really wear on me. I can hardly get upset, no matter the beat, I've just seen it all before in this swing. I am very apathetic towards the game right now, and as exampled today, I start a decent run midway through the day, only to get shot down and end the day negative. Then I have to read about other players running well, and I become even more depressed. Really, there is a chance that I am maxxed out playing NL10 and I have reached the level of my incompetance. That, in a nutshell, is what I am thinking. Great mindset.
I should total about $180 in bonus money if I can hold on for 8-9 days. The way things are going, that is a big if. I was hoping the change of scenery to Eurolinx from 'Stars would provide the impetus to kick this rut, but so far, no dice. The change has given the rut the impetus to further kick me.
In: $154
Out: $138
On the positive side, I found my old license for PAHud, and have it up and running. Since the Ranger realtime client does not run on Eurolinx, this is great news. On the negative side, the screens are so small, it really does make a clutter.
The players are quite a bit different also, most noticeable being the larger pre-flop bet sizes, often in the 5-8 BB range, as opposed to the standard 3.5 BBs. I think it is in a large part what Harrington calls the fear of flopping, that is to say they are afraid they won't know what to do once they miss the flop, so they overbet pre-flop, and hope to take it down then. Also apparent is a complete over-aggressive style by a lot of players. They seem to think that once you check, the pot is theirs for the bettings. Needless to say, this can be exploited.
I totalled almost 2300 hands on a slightly shortened day, running poorly, average, and finishing poorly. My sideways run has shown no signs of abating, and it is starting to really wear on me. I can hardly get upset, no matter the beat, I've just seen it all before in this swing. I am very apathetic towards the game right now, and as exampled today, I start a decent run midway through the day, only to get shot down and end the day negative. Then I have to read about other players running well, and I become even more depressed. Really, there is a chance that I am maxxed out playing NL10 and I have reached the level of my incompetance. That, in a nutshell, is what I am thinking. Great mindset.
I should total about $180 in bonus money if I can hold on for 8-9 days. The way things are going, that is a big if. I was hoping the change of scenery to Eurolinx from 'Stars would provide the impetus to kick this rut, but so far, no dice. The change has given the rut the impetus to further kick me.
In: $154
Out: $138
domingo, 3 de febrero de 2008
Imagine
Imagine
There's a path through time and space where one encounters
No adversity and the life experience is pure
Heaven.
It's something we all desire, the
Easy path.
If one focuses internally,
You will find that as you
Try the various strategies and tactics,
No one will emerage. It becomes a personal
Hell as we bemoan the twists and turns of fate and fall
Below the weight of the compound pressure that falls on
Us. The high road
Above
Us seems
Only populated by those whose blue
Sky rants confirm what we
Imagine, namely that for
All of our perceived effort,
The spoils of victory are reserved only for the
People for whom destiny has selected for greatness,
Living among those of us
For whom, in the end, tomorrow will be no different than
Today. I can
Imagine that
There's a better way. We are all told as children that
No one stands in our way. Its easy to forget as we see
Countries, en masse, mired in corruption, disease and despair.
It seems impossible that I am special.
Isn't it statistically impossible for me to make a difference?
Hard facts abound and
To fight logic seems an imprudent thing to
Do.
Nothing ventured, nothing lost is the cry as we seek
To not
Kill ourselves, mentally
Or physically. Our mortality snowballs as those around us
Die and we realize that
For us to propser others must sufferAnd perish.
No twisted masochist could design such a system where
Religion is the crutch of the masses,
Too unsure of their own ability to think that they cannot
Imagine an exit from
All the similar passages that appear to offer an exit from
The resression to the mean that all
People of the world are being funneled into,
Living not to die,
Life as someone else's means to an end,
In sickness and in health, fighting someone else's war for someone else's
Peace....
You and I hold the key. Come what
May I
Say that
I'm afraid. How can I live
A life as a
Dreamer of dreams when all
But my unconscious thoughts are telling me that
I'm doomed?
Not just in what I choose today, but in
The very essence of the
Only things I hold dear.
One day I will die, and with me my Hope, my dream and my aspiration.
Someday, but
I hope, not today.
You'll see me an easy target as I appear to
Join the mindless masses and enjoy that fate that will be common to all of
Us.
And in
The end the
World
Will continue to spin, the winners continue to win, everything will
Be
As it was before, less
One. It is not just that I
Imagine these things.
No one is pulling my strings. My
Possessions are as tangible as the frailty of my spirit.
I do not have time for idle speculation, I cannot
Wonder over choices.
If there was ever a time, it is now.
You
Can claim that this is the act of a desperate man
No longer in full possession of his faculties, but I assure you that I
Need to make a move,
For inactivity will render me uncredible.
Greed is as essential as love for those of this planet, live
Or die must cede to live and die. My
Hunger for
A truce with the
Brotherhood of demons that haunt me is
Of vital importance if I am to call myself a
Man. I
Imagine that of
All
The options present to me, this choice may burn many bridges.
People judging me after the fact are not
Sharing my state of mind,
All the good and all
The bad. I no longer have all the time in the
World.
You and I hold the key. Come what
May I
Say that
I'm ready. I can live
A life as a
Dreamer of dreams.
But nothing.
I'm
Not just ready to jettison the crutch, its done.
The die is cast.
Only today, only
One day.
I will die.
Hope, dreams and aspirations perpetuate on the wings of a song.
Someday I'll pray, but not today.
You'll see me
Join hands and ask that He give
Us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses as I forgive those that trespass against me.
The end is near. The
World
Will certainly pass to the cosmic dust as it was before.
Be.
As not every man lives, note well that there is nothing stopping you from being the
One.
You may say I'm a dreamer,
But I'm not the only one.
Peace. --'freq
There's a path through time and space where one encounters
No adversity and the life experience is pure
Heaven.
It's something we all desire, the
Easy path.
If one focuses internally,
You will find that as you
Try the various strategies and tactics,
No one will emerage. It becomes a personal
Hell as we bemoan the twists and turns of fate and fall
Below the weight of the compound pressure that falls on
Us. The high road
Above
Us seems
Only populated by those whose blue
Sky rants confirm what we
Imagine, namely that for
All of our perceived effort,
The spoils of victory are reserved only for the
People for whom destiny has selected for greatness,
Living among those of us
For whom, in the end, tomorrow will be no different than
Today. I can
Imagine that
There's a better way. We are all told as children that
No one stands in our way. Its easy to forget as we see
Countries, en masse, mired in corruption, disease and despair.
It seems impossible that I am special.
Isn't it statistically impossible for me to make a difference?
Hard facts abound and
To fight logic seems an imprudent thing to
Do.
Nothing ventured, nothing lost is the cry as we seek
To not
Kill ourselves, mentally
Or physically. Our mortality snowballs as those around us
Die and we realize that
For us to propser others must sufferAnd perish.
No twisted masochist could design such a system where
Religion is the crutch of the masses,
Too unsure of their own ability to think that they cannot
Imagine an exit from
All the similar passages that appear to offer an exit from
The resression to the mean that all
People of the world are being funneled into,
Living not to die,
Life as someone else's means to an end,
In sickness and in health, fighting someone else's war for someone else's
Peace....
You and I hold the key. Come what
May I
Say that
I'm afraid. How can I live
A life as a
Dreamer of dreams when all
But my unconscious thoughts are telling me that
I'm doomed?
Not just in what I choose today, but in
The very essence of the
Only things I hold dear.
One day I will die, and with me my Hope, my dream and my aspiration.
Someday, but
I hope, not today.
You'll see me an easy target as I appear to
Join the mindless masses and enjoy that fate that will be common to all of
Us.
And in
The end the
World
Will continue to spin, the winners continue to win, everything will
Be
As it was before, less
One. It is not just that I
Imagine these things.
No one is pulling my strings. My
Possessions are as tangible as the frailty of my spirit.
I do not have time for idle speculation, I cannot
Wonder over choices.
If there was ever a time, it is now.
You
Can claim that this is the act of a desperate man
No longer in full possession of his faculties, but I assure you that I
Need to make a move,
For inactivity will render me uncredible.
Greed is as essential as love for those of this planet, live
Or die must cede to live and die. My
Hunger for
A truce with the
Brotherhood of demons that haunt me is
Of vital importance if I am to call myself a
Man. I
Imagine that of
All
The options present to me, this choice may burn many bridges.
People judging me after the fact are not
Sharing my state of mind,
All the good and all
The bad. I no longer have all the time in the
World.
You and I hold the key. Come what
May I
Say that
I'm ready. I can live
A life as a
Dreamer of dreams.
But nothing.
I'm
Not just ready to jettison the crutch, its done.
The die is cast.
Only today, only
One day.
I will die.
Hope, dreams and aspirations perpetuate on the wings of a song.
Someday I'll pray, but not today.
You'll see me
Join hands and ask that He give
Us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses as I forgive those that trespass against me.
The end is near. The
World
Will certainly pass to the cosmic dust as it was before.
Be.
As not every man lives, note well that there is nothing stopping you from being the
One.
You may say I'm a dreamer,
But I'm not the only one.
Peace. --'freq
pkrqwst>
You are in a maze of twisty little passages, all alike.
There are exits leading north, west and northwest.
pkrqwst> n
You are in a maze of twisty little passages, all alike.
There are exits leading south and east.
pkrqwst> s
You are in a maze of twisty little passages, all alike.
There are exits leading north, south, east and west.
pkrqwst> w
You are in a large hall. There is a sack and a sleeping dog on the floor.
pkrqwst> pick up sack
You have picked up the sack.
pkrqwst> kick sleeping dog
You kick the sleeping dog and it vaporizes into 770 pkrqwst points.
pkrqwst> look in sack
In the sack there is a round table, 5 guffawing Frenchmen, 1 well-dressed frenchman and a deck of cards.
pkrqwst> remove table from sack
You remove the table and as it settles on the floor you notice it is covered in green felt.
pkrqwst> remove 5 guffawing Frenchmen
With what? Your bear hands?
pkrqwst> xyzzy
5 guffawing Frenchmen appear seated at the table. The continue guffawing generally unconcerned by your presence.
pkrqwst> invite well-dressed Frenchman out of the bag
He declines your invitation.
pkrqwst> plugh
A well-dressed Frenchman stands at the table, looking bored.
pkrqwst> move to table
You move to the table.
pkrqwst> say "let's play"
You say "let's play."
The 5 seated guffawing Frenchmen nod in approval.
The well-dressed Frenchman says "With what? Your bear hands?"
pkrqwst> take cards from sack
You take the cards from the sack.
pkrqwst> give cards to dealer
You give the cards to the dealer.
He says "Ante up." Everyone looks at you.
pkrqwst> ask dealer to exchange 770 pkrqwst points
The dealer gives you 1 buyin.
He deals the cards.
You have 7c 4d.
pkrqwst> check
You check and it is checked around.
The dealer flops 9sTsJs.
pkrqwst> push all-in
You push all-in and get 5 calls.
The turn is Qs and the River 2h.
You win the pot with 7 high.
The Frenchmen (all of them), the table and the cards all disappear as a golden coin falls in your lap.
pkrqwst> look
You are in a large hall.
pkrqwst> squint
There appears to be a vending machine in the far corner.
pkrqwst> go to vending machine.
You go to the vending machine.
pkrqwst> insert golden coin
With what? Your bear hands?
pkrqwst> y
You insert the golden coin.
Out comes a can of self-esteem soda.
pkrqwst> drink self-esteem
You drink the self-esteem.
You feel GREAT! YOU ARE A WINNER.
Game Over.
Would you like to play again?
There are exits leading north, west and northwest.
pkrqwst> n
You are in a maze of twisty little passages, all alike.
There are exits leading south and east.
pkrqwst> s
You are in a maze of twisty little passages, all alike.
There are exits leading north, south, east and west.
pkrqwst> w
You are in a large hall. There is a sack and a sleeping dog on the floor.
pkrqwst> pick up sack
You have picked up the sack.
pkrqwst> kick sleeping dog
You kick the sleeping dog and it vaporizes into 770 pkrqwst points.
pkrqwst> look in sack
In the sack there is a round table, 5 guffawing Frenchmen, 1 well-dressed frenchman and a deck of cards.
pkrqwst> remove table from sack
You remove the table and as it settles on the floor you notice it is covered in green felt.
pkrqwst> remove 5 guffawing Frenchmen
With what? Your bear hands?
pkrqwst> xyzzy
5 guffawing Frenchmen appear seated at the table. The continue guffawing generally unconcerned by your presence.
pkrqwst> invite well-dressed Frenchman out of the bag
He declines your invitation.
pkrqwst> plugh
A well-dressed Frenchman stands at the table, looking bored.
pkrqwst> move to table
You move to the table.
pkrqwst> say "let's play"
You say "let's play."
The 5 seated guffawing Frenchmen nod in approval.
The well-dressed Frenchman says "With what? Your bear hands?"
pkrqwst> take cards from sack
You take the cards from the sack.
pkrqwst> give cards to dealer
You give the cards to the dealer.
He says "Ante up." Everyone looks at you.
pkrqwst> ask dealer to exchange 770 pkrqwst points
The dealer gives you 1 buyin.
He deals the cards.
You have 7c 4d.
pkrqwst> check
You check and it is checked around.
The dealer flops 9sTsJs.
pkrqwst> push all-in
You push all-in and get 5 calls.
The turn is Qs and the River 2h.
You win the pot with 7 high.
The Frenchmen (all of them), the table and the cards all disappear as a golden coin falls in your lap.
pkrqwst> look
You are in a large hall.
pkrqwst> squint
There appears to be a vending machine in the far corner.
pkrqwst> go to vending machine.
You go to the vending machine.
pkrqwst> insert golden coin
With what? Your bear hands?
pkrqwst> y
You insert the golden coin.
Out comes a can of self-esteem soda.
pkrqwst> drink self-esteem
You drink the self-esteem.
You feel GREAT! YOU ARE A WINNER.
Game Over.
Would you like to play again?
Poker Air
Ladies and Gentlemen, from the flight deck this is Captain Dave, and I'd like to welcome you aboard Poker Air flight 666.
The weather ahead is mostly clear, but there are some bad patches, and we'll head directly at them. Once airborne, our cruising altitude will be 30 thousand feet. Well, actually between 24 and 36 thousand feet, with changes of flight level coming abruptly and at random. OK, in all honesty, we aren't bound by 24 and 36 thousand feet, we're just going to fly where ever we damn well please.
We are nonstop today, however the final destination is a complete unknown. Even if it were, we're only about a 55% chance to actually get there.
Here at Poker Air, you comfort is our prime concern. To this end, fully 1/3 of you will be selected for wining and dining first class, with top-notch service and a gourmet meal, after which, you will be seduced by an attractive stewardess (or steward, or both, as the cases may be) and granted entry into our Mile High Club. The other 2/3's of you will be crowded like cattle into the cargo hold, which will be filled with noxious fumes and Kenny G music.
You should probably know that I am not really a pilot, nor is any member of my flight crew.
And I am drunk.
Have a pleasant flight.
Fortune
Fortune is a 20 year old college student. She goes to school in Italy, and summers in Mallorca. No one is quite sure how she got the post, but rest assured that its in perpetuity. She has a lot of friends, and is often out; so don't bother calling - she certainly won't answer. She is particularly adept at weaving in and out of the Roman traffic on her Vespa, especially when she is off shopping, or late to a late lunch. She dances til dawn and sleeps well past noon. Her father is very rich and very famous (in that order). The wheel with which she has been entrusted to steadily guide as a seasoned Captain with a hull full of spice might, is often left upon sill of the opened window, sometimes gently swaying as if surfing upon the leading edge of a Pavarotti vibrato, and sometimes rushing with the intensity of the storm waters through the Straits of Messina, and often painfully pleasurably pulsating as if The Sirens were singing just to you.
And about your desire that a constant application of chance be applied to your existence?
She couldn't care less.
And about your desire that a constant application of chance be applied to your existence?
She couldn't care less.
Getting Started
Hello and welcome to the first entry in my blog. My concept is simple; start from absolutely zero and turn it into $10,000 playing poker. My nickname on this blog and some of the sites I play is resonantfreq, although I do play under other names on some sites.
If you are reading this first entry, the first thing you should know is that I have already started. I started on December 9, 2007. The initial phases of the run were documented on www.stoxpoker.com, under the FORUMs section, in the GENERAL tab, under the thread called "My Bankroll Building Thread."
On January 9, 2008, while still on Stoxpoker, I moved the documentation to the MEMBER'S BLOG section, where I blogged until January 31st.
Let me say that Stoxpoker is an incredible site, I am a member, I will continue to be a member, I love the site and all that it is about. However, my blog was not getting any exposure. That is why I have decided to move it here.
On December 9, 2007 I started with absolutely nothing - I had actually started playing freerolls a couple days earlier, but this was the first day I started writing about it. Later that same day I received a $7.70 no deposit bonus from Poker770. In the time since then I have ranged from nearly losing it all (on Day 6) to having well over $300 in my account (late January).
As January closed, I had about $150 in my account as I moved funds from PokerStars (which I like immensely) to Eurolinx (in order to chase a bonus). My month of Dec/Jan (which I consider my first month, since in the beginning I played few hands due to limited bankroll and the holidays) was neither good nor bad. I ran just over 3.5 PTBBs / 100 on about 56K hands. As January closed I find myself in the middle of a (now) 25K sideways run. My win rate is just fine, but certainly not extraordinary considering the stakes I played.
I usually write about:
a) The frustrations I have dealing with the twists and turns of fortune
b) My day
c) The Kelly Criterion, which is my method of managing my $
d) Fun poker topics (in general) in a creative-writing format (usually poking fun at myself)
I am going to repost a couple of my favorite things that I have written over the last month in the next couple of blog entries to get everyone up to speed on what it is like to be a resonantfreq. Additionally, tomorrow (Feb 4) will be my first day blogging here about my actual day.
Personally, I am a computer scientist living in Barcelona. I will be moving back to Denver this summer, and if I cannot accomplish my goals, then I will have to go back to work in the real world, a prospect that scares the s*** out of me.
One last thing, my goal is really $40K. But it seems a bit much to aim for. Except however, that is exactly what I am aiming for. So if this or the next couple of blog entries pique your interest, you can check out my past history on stoxpoker to come fully up to speed.
'freq out.
If you are reading this first entry, the first thing you should know is that I have already started. I started on December 9, 2007. The initial phases of the run were documented on www.stoxpoker.com, under the FORUMs section, in the GENERAL tab, under the thread called "My Bankroll Building Thread."
On January 9, 2008, while still on Stoxpoker, I moved the documentation to the MEMBER'S BLOG section, where I blogged until January 31st.
Let me say that Stoxpoker is an incredible site, I am a member, I will continue to be a member, I love the site and all that it is about. However, my blog was not getting any exposure. That is why I have decided to move it here.
On December 9, 2007 I started with absolutely nothing - I had actually started playing freerolls a couple days earlier, but this was the first day I started writing about it. Later that same day I received a $7.70 no deposit bonus from Poker770. In the time since then I have ranged from nearly losing it all (on Day 6) to having well over $300 in my account (late January).
As January closed, I had about $150 in my account as I moved funds from PokerStars (which I like immensely) to Eurolinx (in order to chase a bonus). My month of Dec/Jan (which I consider my first month, since in the beginning I played few hands due to limited bankroll and the holidays) was neither good nor bad. I ran just over 3.5 PTBBs / 100 on about 56K hands. As January closed I find myself in the middle of a (now) 25K sideways run. My win rate is just fine, but certainly not extraordinary considering the stakes I played.
I usually write about:
a) The frustrations I have dealing with the twists and turns of fortune
b) My day
c) The Kelly Criterion, which is my method of managing my $
d) Fun poker topics (in general) in a creative-writing format (usually poking fun at myself)
I am going to repost a couple of my favorite things that I have written over the last month in the next couple of blog entries to get everyone up to speed on what it is like to be a resonantfreq. Additionally, tomorrow (Feb 4) will be my first day blogging here about my actual day.
Personally, I am a computer scientist living in Barcelona. I will be moving back to Denver this summer, and if I cannot accomplish my goals, then I will have to go back to work in the real world, a prospect that scares the s*** out of me.
One last thing, my goal is really $40K. But it seems a bit much to aim for. Except however, that is exactly what I am aiming for. So if this or the next couple of blog entries pique your interest, you can check out my past history on stoxpoker to come fully up to speed.
'freq out.
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