A friend came into town this weekend and wanted to play some cards. We went to the Peppermill and it was hopping. I have never seen the boards so full. The 15/30 Limit was back and they had 3 1/2 NL tables and 1 3/5 NL going. Nothing higher but the stacks where 1K deep so it was running big. My friend is not the best player and always complains about the suckouts at 4/8. I didn’t want to play higher so we went to the ½ NL table.
I was pumped up for some reason and splashed around for a few hours breaking even when I finally started to settle down. I went card dead at the same time so it was easy to do. I managed to get up 100 when we started to talk about going to dinner and decided to play one more round. Of course we both got into a few hands and he was down 15 and I was only up 28 when we racked up.
After dinner I stayed focused from the start. I caught some bluffs and played well and left with +336 for the night. My friend was +250 or so. The game was very soft and I was able to put the few things I learned to practice.
Thinking back I feel that you get more bang for your buck at NL. The blinds are so small that you don’t get blinded off and if you do limp in, it is only 2 to see a flop. Its like playing 2/4 preflop and 20/40 post flop.
I still felt weak when I had JJ on a 9 high board and I was raised on the flop. I gave him way to much credit for 2 pair and lost value. I did call him down and win the pot. Earlier, in another hand, I folded to aggression only to find out I was ahead. I guess this comes with experience so I will just have to play more NL to get over it.
I haven’t lost my love for limit but I think NL may be the way to build a BR fast with minimal risk. I may be playing weak tight but it is still better then 4/8. My live play time is minimal right now but I did manage to more then triple my BR in the last two weeks. I don’t know if next weekend will be much better but after that it should be wide open.
On-line I am up slightly. I started to mix in some .5/1 tables and I think it is a little to soon. So I will stay at the .25/.5 table until I build my BR more.
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Friday, March 28, 2008
No Easy Street for Me
Was cruising along last night on-line. Was up 3 buy-ins and would double my BR in record time. (It is micro) Went to bed to lock in the win but couldn't sleep. Turned the computer back on to continue were I left off and it was going great for 10 min. Then I went card dead. No problem just wait for hands. Blinded off then got a hand. 88% to win on the turn then 0% on the river. Repeat 3 times and big win turns into small win. Thank God tonight is Friday and the games should be softer over the weekend. Just so frustrating with so much money out there and I couldn't get any.
Live is still going as planed. I have been sticking to the 4/8 w/ full kill and doubled my BR. Will play this weekend and hope to continue building. Of course what happened on-line could happen live too.
Either way I feel very confident about my play and know it is just a matter of time to rebuild my BR back to what it was and beyond. I have a much clearer frame of mind, outlook, and focus to my game now, more then I have ever before. I have a busy couple of weeks ahead of me and then I plan on playing and studying poker like a mad man.
Live is still going as planed. I have been sticking to the 4/8 w/ full kill and doubled my BR. Will play this weekend and hope to continue building. Of course what happened on-line could happen live too.
Either way I feel very confident about my play and know it is just a matter of time to rebuild my BR back to what it was and beyond. I have a much clearer frame of mind, outlook, and focus to my game now, more then I have ever before. I have a busy couple of weeks ahead of me and then I plan on playing and studying poker like a mad man.
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Made My First Goal
I ran up $1.78 to $100. Less then a month ago I decided not to deposit more money on-line and lay in the bed I made. Practicing BR management and of course dropping down to .02/.04 I started to grind it out. As you know my BR mgmt is very lacking so this was good for me. Now that I see it works on-line maybe I can do it live.
I did hit a bump in the road last week loosing 37% of my BR just as I was reaching the $100 mark. I took some time off which helped but I think most of it came from my studies of NL. I carried over the concepts of position, added some aggression and I went on a streak. Now the questions is, do I go back to studying limit or keep going on NL? I may just do both.
Now that I made my goal I will start adding .5/1 tables to my play. The BR is still short but I will add them slowly. At $500 I will add 1/2 tables and so on. I will move up fast to 1/2 but then slow down until I have the proper BR.
I did hit a bump in the road last week loosing 37% of my BR just as I was reaching the $100 mark. I took some time off which helped but I think most of it came from my studies of NL. I carried over the concepts of position, added some aggression and I went on a streak. Now the questions is, do I go back to studying limit or keep going on NL? I may just do both.
Now that I made my goal I will start adding .5/1 tables to my play. The BR is still short but I will add them slowly. At $500 I will add 1/2 tables and so on. I will move up fast to 1/2 but then slow down until I have the proper BR.
Friday, March 21, 2008
Having a Rough Stretch
Was cruising along nicely on-line and then hit a down swing. Mix of bad luck and bad play. I took a couple of days off before trying again and booked a win. The next day down again.
Pretty much the same live. Live, I am also playing above my bankroll. This does and is adding to my woes so I ahve to re-think my plan of attack. I tried to avoid it but I think I will have to grind it out at the 4/8 and 1/2 NL tables. My theory is that 1/2 NL plays as big as 10/20 Limit and 3/5 NL up to 20/40 limit. 3/5 NL killed me last night. I just couldn't hit a flop. By itself it was a normal loss on a bad night, but since my BR is so small it was devastating.
I started to study No Limit. I have been having trouble finding live limit games above 4/8 so I decided to add NL. I am watching and studing Ed Miller's videos on Stoxpoker and then reading the corresponding chapters in his book NL Theory and Practice. I then try it and can see exactly what he means and why.
So back to the grind building a BR. Slow and steady. I guess I will have to warm up to long hours and lots of hands.
Pretty much the same live. Live, I am also playing above my bankroll. This does and is adding to my woes so I ahve to re-think my plan of attack. I tried to avoid it but I think I will have to grind it out at the 4/8 and 1/2 NL tables. My theory is that 1/2 NL plays as big as 10/20 Limit and 3/5 NL up to 20/40 limit. 3/5 NL killed me last night. I just couldn't hit a flop. By itself it was a normal loss on a bad night, but since my BR is so small it was devastating.
I started to study No Limit. I have been having trouble finding live limit games above 4/8 so I decided to add NL. I am watching and studing Ed Miller's videos on Stoxpoker and then reading the corresponding chapters in his book NL Theory and Practice. I then try it and can see exactly what he means and why.
So back to the grind building a BR. Slow and steady. I guess I will have to warm up to long hours and lots of hands.
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Commerce
Made it to the Commerce last Tues. night. Pulled in around midnight and went to bed. The rooms were clean and quite. The room rate was $189 but if you talk to the floor they lower it to $139 without an issue. This is the same rate as the Doubletree which is down the road.
Overall it was a let down. Not because of the card room but because I built it up so much in my mind and it was just like my local card room but bigger. The games were just as loose and the players behaved the same. The jackpots were bigger but I didn't hit it. I did see Barry G playing mixed games and Chinese poker but nothing spectacular. Once I got over the excitement and fear that I wasn't as good as these players I settled down into my game. I found I was able to hold my own and I started to grind out some hands.
I played as much as I could and slept as little as I could, so it took until the last day to appreciate the benefits of the large room. I was playing mostly 9/18 and then 20/40. There were multiple games of the 9/18 with a seemingly endless list and mostly the same for the 20/40. If there wasn't a second game the list moved pretty fast and they kept the game full.
There were calling stations in both games but no maniacs throwing money away. I feel like I need to go back to give it a better review. I was so blinded by my expectations and excitement that I didn't get much out of it. The same can be said for when I go to Bay 101. I guess I need to get out more. Anyway, I have now been there and done that so the next time will be better.
As for LA, I didn't see much. My friend lived there so I thought he would play tour guide. Didn't happen. He kept saying that everything would take a whole day and he thought I wanted to play poker all day. I guess with more sleep I would have but he snores. We did make it out to eat twice. Once to Captain Jacks for crab and Chris n Pitts for bar-b-que. I had steamed crab at Captain Jacks and it was huge. Everything on the menu was huge. So if you go there be hungry. The same can be said for the bar-b-que. And they both had great food and I would go again.
I suck at reviews so I will now end my misery and your pain.
Overall it was a let down. Not because of the card room but because I built it up so much in my mind and it was just like my local card room but bigger. The games were just as loose and the players behaved the same. The jackpots were bigger but I didn't hit it. I did see Barry G playing mixed games and Chinese poker but nothing spectacular. Once I got over the excitement and fear that I wasn't as good as these players I settled down into my game. I found I was able to hold my own and I started to grind out some hands.
I played as much as I could and slept as little as I could, so it took until the last day to appreciate the benefits of the large room. I was playing mostly 9/18 and then 20/40. There were multiple games of the 9/18 with a seemingly endless list and mostly the same for the 20/40. If there wasn't a second game the list moved pretty fast and they kept the game full.
There were calling stations in both games but no maniacs throwing money away. I feel like I need to go back to give it a better review. I was so blinded by my expectations and excitement that I didn't get much out of it. The same can be said for when I go to Bay 101. I guess I need to get out more. Anyway, I have now been there and done that so the next time will be better.
As for LA, I didn't see much. My friend lived there so I thought he would play tour guide. Didn't happen. He kept saying that everything would take a whole day and he thought I wanted to play poker all day. I guess with more sleep I would have but he snores. We did make it out to eat twice. Once to Captain Jacks for crab and Chris n Pitts for bar-b-que. I had steamed crab at Captain Jacks and it was huge. Everything on the menu was huge. So if you go there be hungry. The same can be said for the bar-b-que. And they both had great food and I would go again.
I suck at reviews so I will now end my misery and your pain.
Sunday, March 2, 2008
Long Road Ahead
Didn't make it to the Commerce yet. Still planning to go, my friend just keeps getting delayed. The new plan is Tues. night heading down there. Gives me some extra time to iron out the kinks.
I had a rough weekend at the Peppermill Sping tournaments. I was down in the cash games and then Sat. I played the noon tournament. Brought home how weak my NL game is. Planning on working on that as soon as I get back from the Commerce.
Anyway, I was actually doing good in the tournament at the first break. I was double the average chip stack but I had been getting lucky. I had a terrible nights sleep Fri. so I was chugging coffee. By the end of the break I was dragging. My table broke and I got moved to a new table. A few hands in I flop a straight on a drawing board. The big stack bets the pot, 1k, and I raise to 5k. He calls. I tell myself to move in on a non-flush, non-straight card. The board pairs and when it is checked to me I move in. He insta-calls and I know I am done. He had 2 pair and filled up. This is why I hate NL. One hand and it is over.
Back to cash games. Tired and tilty from the loss and loose 500 in a 15/30 game. Time to go. Sun. I have more sleep and jump into a 15/30 game. Play ABC poker and start to build a stack. From the start my plan is to play until 5pm. That is 5 hours and I will go home. At 4 I am up 1200, at 4:50 I am up 400. Next time I will play 4 hrs and take atleast an hour break.
The signs where there to leave but I wanted to stick to my plan. I didn't tilt, I got sucked out on. Two big pots, one was my last hand, and I was done. Crap. Nothing I could do but leave. Overall I played well. I was very patient, didn't know exactly how much I was up, let hands go, and was alittle more aggressive. I was alittle tired because I missed a few bets and pots that I should have won.
I am still getting my new form down so I am happy with any win. Was pleased that my tight play got me the chips. The game is so loose but I just waited and took my shots when I had the best of it. It payed off and am optimistic that this is the right way to beat these games. Playing like this on-line too and I am on a nice win streak. Just going to grind it out and play within my bankroll.
I had a rough weekend at the Peppermill Sping tournaments. I was down in the cash games and then Sat. I played the noon tournament. Brought home how weak my NL game is. Planning on working on that as soon as I get back from the Commerce.
Anyway, I was actually doing good in the tournament at the first break. I was double the average chip stack but I had been getting lucky. I had a terrible nights sleep Fri. so I was chugging coffee. By the end of the break I was dragging. My table broke and I got moved to a new table. A few hands in I flop a straight on a drawing board. The big stack bets the pot, 1k, and I raise to 5k. He calls. I tell myself to move in on a non-flush, non-straight card. The board pairs and when it is checked to me I move in. He insta-calls and I know I am done. He had 2 pair and filled up. This is why I hate NL. One hand and it is over.
Back to cash games. Tired and tilty from the loss and loose 500 in a 15/30 game. Time to go. Sun. I have more sleep and jump into a 15/30 game. Play ABC poker and start to build a stack. From the start my plan is to play until 5pm. That is 5 hours and I will go home. At 4 I am up 1200, at 4:50 I am up 400. Next time I will play 4 hrs and take atleast an hour break.
The signs where there to leave but I wanted to stick to my plan. I didn't tilt, I got sucked out on. Two big pots, one was my last hand, and I was done. Crap. Nothing I could do but leave. Overall I played well. I was very patient, didn't know exactly how much I was up, let hands go, and was alittle more aggressive. I was alittle tired because I missed a few bets and pots that I should have won.
I am still getting my new form down so I am happy with any win. Was pleased that my tight play got me the chips. The game is so loose but I just waited and took my shots when I had the best of it. It payed off and am optimistic that this is the right way to beat these games. Playing like this on-line too and I am on a nice win streak. Just going to grind it out and play within my bankroll.
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