Back on the Blog

I have had some ups and downs since I last Blogged. I was down on myself and didn't blog. Since then I have gotten my game back and am doing well.

I have been keeping a steady pace at the tables and am getting into a grove as to when to leave. I don't always get it right but I have been getting better at leaving.

Still loosing online. I have slowed the bleeding but am not going in the right direction yet. I am trying new things all the time so I haven't given up yet. I keep telling myself if other people can win then so can I.

Hitting the books again. A friend gave me what looks like a very good book from 1994. It covers odds a draws in a way that I have not see before. It is well written and explains the concepts simply. I will let you know more when I am done with it.

Anyway, I have recovered from 2 months of bad play and am looking forward to big profits. The Grand Sierra is having their tournaments starting this Thursday and Lake Tahoe is filled with tourists giving away money. I have been practicing my tournaments and will be going to the lake trying to cash in. I will try to tell you all about it.

Down Swing

I have had a down swing already. I then proceeded to make it worse by playing badly. I was on the verge of having a loosing month until I pulled out of it last night, or atleast won last night.

I will give you 2 examples of sessions that make me belive it was a down swing. I realized I was making it worse by playing badly so I told myself I would only play hands that I know I should play in the correct position. On night one I played 3.5 hrs and didn't win one pot.

I played 2 pots of significance. Pot one I got top pair on the flop and when the flush draw came in on the turn I bluffed at it. I got called so I bluffed bigger on the river. The guy with the nut flush didn't buy it.

Pot 2 was a free ride from the big blind. I flopped 2 pair on a 345 rainbow board so I went all in. I got called by the 5 high and 6 high straights. End of the night.

The next night I told myself no bluffing. So I waited 4hrs before I got a straight on the turn. I got all of the money in against a set of nines. The board paired on the river. I was 78% to win. He took all of my money but when he saw he sucked out he gave me $5.

I ran that up in two hands to $40. I was feeling great thinking I could come back when I got AK. I moved in and got called by one other player with AK. Easy chop right? No. There was a 2% chance that he could make a flush, so of course that is what happened. I couldn't even tie.

Thinking back to other nights I know that I lost more then I should have or won less then I should have with bad play. I learned that that is the key over the long run. Controlling your emotions will help you lessen loses and increase small wins in just one or two key hands.

I hate downswings but they make you look at you game, improve it, and come out of them stronger.

Doing Well

I am finally healthy again and doing well. I am refining my game with good results. I still have to balance aggression with tight play but I am narrowing it down.

My live play is carrying me as expected. I am on track to make more this month then at my last job. I have had good luck taking money from the tourists up at Tahoe. Very few of the Reno regulars drive the hour + to play there so the competition is low.

I have resisted jumping into the 3/5 NL game for now. This is a big game with most players buying in for the 1k max. I want to build my bank roll more and I have to admit there are a few very good players in the game. These guys have no respect for the stakes and if they get lucky you could loose your whole stack quickly. In fact, last night a $800 winner at the 2/3 NL game went to the 3/5 game and lost all of it in his first hand at the table. He flopped top 2 with AK and one of the good players bet 200 on a gut shot draw. The weak player slow played and only called. The good player got there on the turn and thats all she wrote.

The Internet is were I am lacking. I have been using it and its low stakes to try out different strategies, styles of play and just to blow off steam. The result is that I have only been breaking even. Now that I see this I plan on taking it more seriously. I figure modest wins on line will add up and put me over the top for my monthly totals. It will also be a back stop if I have a down swing in my live play. In other words, plan B. It was always my goal to build my online play so that my live play was plan B. I guess I better get a move on.

January Recap

Not a stellar start but not a disaster either. I was sick for the whole month, especially the first 2 weeks. I had to take alot of time off and only got to play 13 days. Even when I played I was not 100%. In fact, I am still suffering with a sore throat and cough. I am going to drug up this afternoon and tonight and if that doesn't work I will have to go to the doctor.

Even with the set backs I managed to win a small amount. More importantly I learned alot about what it takes to win and have had some progress the last couple of times. Nothing to write about, but at least I go home with more then I went with. It is my theory that I will have many days with small wins and every once in a while I will get a big win. As long as I manage my losses, these big wins will put me over the top.

I am still mellow as I battle the last of the worst cold I have ever had.

Off to a Good Start

I am off to a good start for a shortened week. I came down with a cold that I probably got at the tables. I did manage to win 3 out of the 4 days I did play. The totals are within reason but I would have liked them to be a little higher.

I have already identified the leaks and plugged it up. As soon as I get rid of this cold I should be back on track.

I know this is short but my head is killing me.

The Time has Come

Starting Jan 1, 2009 I will be a Pro. Not entirely by choice but do to the economy. I will give myself a month to see if I can do it. If I win then I will go longer. If I loose I will start looking for a job. I have money saved and unemployment to collect so I an not up the creek without a paddle.

I will track everything starting on the first and will post more often.

Good Luck me.

Online is where it is at

I have been playing online almost exclusively. I signed up at Full Tilt for the $600 bonus plus rake back and have been clearing that. Along the way I realized that it is much more enjoyable to play online. It is more comfortable in your home, you can get your own drink without tipping, and you can play more then one game at a time. The only down side is that you become a hermit.

Playing more then one game at a time has become a big factor for me. You have to play even tighter at NL and can get very bored at the casino waiting for hands. The last time I played live I timed 17 min between playable hands.

I have been winning online and loosing live. The losses live come from the slow boring game but also from a huge leak I zeroed in on last night. I try to win every pot I enter and will call big bets even when I am very sure I am beat. This will be the focus as I continue to play. I added up at least $100 that I gave away last night because of this.

I will probably clear my bonus this week and hopefully increase my win rate.