My December results were saved last night in 4 hours. That is how long it took me to bust the big stack at the table and a lady that knew very little about poker but kept rebuying.
Most of the fun and money came from the lady. She would call any preflop raise and call to the river to see who won. She called two all ins preflop and won with a pair of sevens when AK struck out. I would then swoop in and bust her in a hand or two.
The big stack was just frustrated. He was running good catching cards and building a big stack. His rush was over by the time I sat down. He tried to bluff me in a big pot and chased many small pots throughout the session. The final hand was just tilt. I made the Ace high straight on the river and bet 8 into a small pot. It was raised to 20 by the guy to my left and the big stack called. I bumped it to 60 and the guy to my left folded. The big stack announces he is behind and pushes all-in. I figured we had the same hand and called. He never showed and I took down, the now, big pot.
My rush started to slow down after 4 hours. My flush lost to a rivered full house and I started to get really garbage hands. Then a very good and aggressive player sat down and I started to fear for my stack. I tightened up but was also getting tired. I learned the hard way that playing scared and tired is the way to go bust, so I racked up a once in a six month session.
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Day Off for Evaluation
It has been bad in every way. I played bad, ran bad, felt bad, and almost lost it all. I needed a day off.
I should have taken a day off sooner and saved alot of money, but until you hit bottom there is no reason. I hit bottom today and came to the conclusion I need a job. I will wait until next year but I will start looking with more vigor. I will continue playing since I won't get a job right away. I just don't think I am able to make a go of it. I still need time to develop my game without the pressure of going broke and homeless if I don't. I don't have the money or skill behind me to make it work.
I will keep up the drive until I get a job and continue blogging when I do. I won't get a job right away, so there is still a small chance it will work. I just feel the pressure is off now that I made the decision to get a job.
In the end I found myself taking risks because I needed to win. I learned the hard way that you can't control the cards. You have to except you can't win this hand and move on to the next one.
I should have taken a day off sooner and saved alot of money, but until you hit bottom there is no reason. I hit bottom today and came to the conclusion I need a job. I will wait until next year but I will start looking with more vigor. I will continue playing since I won't get a job right away. I just don't think I am able to make a go of it. I still need time to develop my game without the pressure of going broke and homeless if I don't. I don't have the money or skill behind me to make it work.
I will keep up the drive until I get a job and continue blogging when I do. I won't get a job right away, so there is still a small chance it will work. I just feel the pressure is off now that I made the decision to get a job.
In the end I found myself taking risks because I needed to win. I learned the hard way that you can't control the cards. You have to except you can't win this hand and move on to the next one.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Coming to an End
My game has improved by leaps and bounds but it still may not be enough. My time is running out and I am starting to think more about getting a jjjjob. That was hard to say.
I still have two months left so I plan to make the most of them. I plan on ten tabling all day and then going to the casino all night. I don't want to play until the sun comes up because it takes to long to recover afterwards. I think it is more profitable to get sleep and play rested.
My last big leak is paying off sets with big pairs. I feel like I am playing weak if I don't commit but I lose more often then not. So money is winning over ego. This is reversed live. I folded a few time live only to find out that I would have doubled up. It is very player dependant and I have to size them up faster and more accurate. All I can do in the mean time is to compensate the swings with more hands.
I should have better results this month as I put everything I learned together. Already I made the list of top winners for the day at Poker Table Ratings.com. Granted it was at 2am but I was in the top half.
I still have two months left so I plan to make the most of them. I plan on ten tabling all day and then going to the casino all night. I don't want to play until the sun comes up because it takes to long to recover afterwards. I think it is more profitable to get sleep and play rested.
My last big leak is paying off sets with big pairs. I feel like I am playing weak if I don't commit but I lose more often then not. So money is winning over ego. This is reversed live. I folded a few time live only to find out that I would have doubled up. It is very player dependant and I have to size them up faster and more accurate. All I can do in the mean time is to compensate the swings with more hands.
I should have better results this month as I put everything I learned together. Already I made the list of top winners for the day at Poker Table Ratings.com. Granted it was at 2am but I was in the top half.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Best Made Goals
Running bad, playing bad, miss all goals. Need I say more.
I was humming along winning steady and then nothing seemed to work anymore. I was getting beat and loosing money. I slowed it down but I am still scratching my head at what went wrong.
Some leaks are easy to find but hard to plug. I counted 6 really bad plays one day that cost me alot of money. I told myself to never to that again but I watched myself do it 3 times the next day. I guess it is an improvement but what am I thinking. I am embarrassed to describe the plays they are that bad. If it wasn't for rakeback I would be down twice as much. Fulltilt threw in a bonus to boot.
On the positive side, I bought a new computer for my birthday and Christmas present. I must have been good because the computer is great. I was using a laptop with an external monitor and it couldn't keep up all the time. The new one doesn't break a sweat.
I am able to use my bigger monitors and 10 table, my graphics card is better and doesn't crash, and with dual processors things pop up instantly. 10 tables really improve the hands per hour, rakeback and points. To early to tell if it helps my win rate.(right now, no)
I am stubborn, so I am still plugging away. This downswing is normal and I am still getting use to my new set up. I hope.
I was humming along winning steady and then nothing seemed to work anymore. I was getting beat and loosing money. I slowed it down but I am still scratching my head at what went wrong.
Some leaks are easy to find but hard to plug. I counted 6 really bad plays one day that cost me alot of money. I told myself to never to that again but I watched myself do it 3 times the next day. I guess it is an improvement but what am I thinking. I am embarrassed to describe the plays they are that bad. If it wasn't for rakeback I would be down twice as much. Fulltilt threw in a bonus to boot.
On the positive side, I bought a new computer for my birthday and Christmas present. I must have been good because the computer is great. I was using a laptop with an external monitor and it couldn't keep up all the time. The new one doesn't break a sweat.
I am able to use my bigger monitors and 10 table, my graphics card is better and doesn't crash, and with dual processors things pop up instantly. 10 tables really improve the hands per hour, rakeback and points. To early to tell if it helps my win rate.(right now, no)
I am stubborn, so I am still plugging away. This downswing is normal and I am still getting use to my new set up. I hope.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Last Half of Oct. and Monthly Summary
Do to travel and self pity doing my taxes, I only played 8 days in the last two weeks of Oct. My online play is coming together mustering up $333.53 with rake back. Live I made $1,214. This includes a a bad session in the last days of the month.
Looking back over the month the money I made on the Internet was very promising. Not only the amount, but the fact that I am making money. My hard work is starting to pay off.
Live, I think I just ran into a run of bad cards. I made some moves that didn't work and not recognizing the differences from online play. I would feel great after a winning session on the Internet and play the same way live. I would get killed not adjusting to the change in players. You have to show down the best hand live. They won't fold if they have a 1% chance of winning.
My goals for November: Reach bankroll goal and start taking shots at .5/1. Make list of top winners at .25/.5 on Poker Table Ratings.com. This may be only up to half the month because I expect to start taking shots at .5/1 by the 16th. Lastly, play more hands. I should be able to get 2k to 4k hands per day depending on which days I play live.
My casino goals are just to play disciplined show down poker. Value betting my made hands and folding long shot draws. Doing these things well and the money will come.
The end of the week brings in a WSOP circuit event to Tahoe. There should be lots of action that I may miss out on due to my bankroll or lack of. I have 5 days to build it up but action will be hard to find.
Doing all of these things this month will mean I only play poker. I have nothing else to do so I just need to not wast time.
Looking back over the month the money I made on the Internet was very promising. Not only the amount, but the fact that I am making money. My hard work is starting to pay off.
Live, I think I just ran into a run of bad cards. I made some moves that didn't work and not recognizing the differences from online play. I would feel great after a winning session on the Internet and play the same way live. I would get killed not adjusting to the change in players. You have to show down the best hand live. They won't fold if they have a 1% chance of winning.
My goals for November: Reach bankroll goal and start taking shots at .5/1. Make list of top winners at .25/.5 on Poker Table Ratings.com. This may be only up to half the month because I expect to start taking shots at .5/1 by the 16th. Lastly, play more hands. I should be able to get 2k to 4k hands per day depending on which days I play live.
My casino goals are just to play disciplined show down poker. Value betting my made hands and folding long shot draws. Doing these things well and the money will come.
The end of the week brings in a WSOP circuit event to Tahoe. There should be lots of action that I may miss out on due to my bankroll or lack of. I have 5 days to build it up but action will be hard to find.
Doing all of these things this month will mean I only play poker. I have nothing else to do so I just need to not wast time.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Traveling
Got one of those dreaded phone calls that a family member may not make it. So on a moments notice I was on a plane heading to Pennsylvania. My grandmother was not doing well and as my last living grandparent I wanted to see her. She contracted an infection and at 89.5 it caused confusion.
To a point it was funny listening to her mix up dates, events, and people, but at the same time it showed she was not doing well. She lives with my aunt, her daughter, and she did not know her. She was the woman that operated the nursing home, prison, or communist state, depending on how confused my grandmother was at the time.
She recognized me when I went in her bedroom but didn't know how long they would let me stay. Visiting hours and all. Later she wouldn't realize who my father was or when he died. He is her son and he was watching TV on the couch. She later commented that we all looked alike. I guess family does look alike. The antibiotics where working and she was getting better.
After visiting grammy I went to AC and the Borgata. I arrived around 7pm Thursday and jumped into a 2/5 NL game. As usually the locals tried to push the tourist around so I folded many of my hands. They were very aggressive betting large amounts with air or at best a draw.
I picked up a few small pots until I got 88 in the SB. I called 5 limpers and the BB checked. The flop was 998. I flopped a fullhouse and not wanting it to check around I bet 20 into a 35 pot. The BB called and everyone else folded. The turn was a 6 and I bet 40. The BB raised to 140 and I pushed for 300 more, all of his chips.
I could have played this a little slower but I didn't want 93o to beat me without paying so my plan was to get the money in. The BB tanked, called my hand, and asked if I would show. "I don't show sir." He called with a straight and I won another 250 or so. +400
Another player said he had 66 and would have pushed his fullhouse if I didn't bet the flop. This is an argument for slow playing but would I have gotten both to push all in. With a paired board and 3 players the straight would have dropped out and I would have won about the same amount. By betting I think I reduce those bad beats that are worse because you think you slowplaying allow him to stay in.
I won with AA also but I don't like the way I played it. I was getting tired and bored from the drive and jet lag. I was the BB and the button raised to 20. The sb completed and I only raised to 50. Both called and we saw a flop of KQJ 2 spades. I didn't have the A of spades and bet out 60. The btn raised to 120 and the sb folded. I was now in a bad spot and he had 350 left.
He was not a donk but could min raise anything. AK, AQ, KQ, of 2 spades were real possibilities. So I declared I screwed up and pushed 500. He folded what he said was AK. +650
I went card dead after this and donked off 150 before calling it a night. The next day I played in 4hr stretches and won during all 3. I made 650 in the morning, 50 in the afternoon and then 130 in the evening. I don't remember any more hands just being card dead. My morning win was flopping a set over set and a few standard hands then later I was just card dead.
The night session was a little exciting. My first hand I am sat next to the big stack of 2500 and dealt JJ. I raised to 25 and got 3 callers including the big stack. I bet 35 on a board of 895 two hearts and got raised to 135 by the big stack. It was folded around to me and I pushed my 400 starting stack into the middle. The big stack called with an open ended str8 flush draw and got a flush on the river.
I changed seats to get away from the big stack and rebought 300. With QTs I called a 10 straddle along with 6 other players and the bb raised it to 50. Everyone called so I did too. The flop came Q high so I bet out 50 as a blocking bet. The BB and big stack called. The turn was another spade so I bet my last 200 on the Q with str8 and flush draws and the bb called. The BB showed AQ and I said I got outs. The river was a spade and I announced that was one of them.
Almost even now I was feeling better. The BB was still taking about the hand and pointed out that I had a straight flush. I didn't know. I just knew I had a flush and was good. I won a few more small pots to finish up for the session and went to bed.
I had to be at a family gathering Sat. at noon so I had to leave as soon as I woke up. Over all the short side trip cost me 300 and I won 1300. It was worth the trip but I think one more day would have paid for the whole trip back east. One tip. If you don't stay at the Borgata, which is expensive, keep your parking receipts. They charge $5 to park and you can use the receipt if you leave to take a nap and come back. I learned this late and paid for it.
My results aren't there due to the traveling but on line I lost -35, including rakeback, and live I won 1,657. Taking time off is expensive. There are a few days left in the month that I plan to make the best of.
To a point it was funny listening to her mix up dates, events, and people, but at the same time it showed she was not doing well. She lives with my aunt, her daughter, and she did not know her. She was the woman that operated the nursing home, prison, or communist state, depending on how confused my grandmother was at the time.
She recognized me when I went in her bedroom but didn't know how long they would let me stay. Visiting hours and all. Later she wouldn't realize who my father was or when he died. He is her son and he was watching TV on the couch. She later commented that we all looked alike. I guess family does look alike. The antibiotics where working and she was getting better.
After visiting grammy I went to AC and the Borgata. I arrived around 7pm Thursday and jumped into a 2/5 NL game. As usually the locals tried to push the tourist around so I folded many of my hands. They were very aggressive betting large amounts with air or at best a draw.
I picked up a few small pots until I got 88 in the SB. I called 5 limpers and the BB checked. The flop was 998. I flopped a fullhouse and not wanting it to check around I bet 20 into a 35 pot. The BB called and everyone else folded. The turn was a 6 and I bet 40. The BB raised to 140 and I pushed for 300 more, all of his chips.
I could have played this a little slower but I didn't want 93o to beat me without paying so my plan was to get the money in. The BB tanked, called my hand, and asked if I would show. "I don't show sir." He called with a straight and I won another 250 or so. +400
Another player said he had 66 and would have pushed his fullhouse if I didn't bet the flop. This is an argument for slow playing but would I have gotten both to push all in. With a paired board and 3 players the straight would have dropped out and I would have won about the same amount. By betting I think I reduce those bad beats that are worse because you think you slowplaying allow him to stay in.
I won with AA also but I don't like the way I played it. I was getting tired and bored from the drive and jet lag. I was the BB and the button raised to 20. The sb completed and I only raised to 50. Both called and we saw a flop of KQJ 2 spades. I didn't have the A of spades and bet out 60. The btn raised to 120 and the sb folded. I was now in a bad spot and he had 350 left.
He was not a donk but could min raise anything. AK, AQ, KQ, of 2 spades were real possibilities. So I declared I screwed up and pushed 500. He folded what he said was AK. +650
I went card dead after this and donked off 150 before calling it a night. The next day I played in 4hr stretches and won during all 3. I made 650 in the morning, 50 in the afternoon and then 130 in the evening. I don't remember any more hands just being card dead. My morning win was flopping a set over set and a few standard hands then later I was just card dead.
The night session was a little exciting. My first hand I am sat next to the big stack of 2500 and dealt JJ. I raised to 25 and got 3 callers including the big stack. I bet 35 on a board of 895 two hearts and got raised to 135 by the big stack. It was folded around to me and I pushed my 400 starting stack into the middle. The big stack called with an open ended str8 flush draw and got a flush on the river.
I changed seats to get away from the big stack and rebought 300. With QTs I called a 10 straddle along with 6 other players and the bb raised it to 50. Everyone called so I did too. The flop came Q high so I bet out 50 as a blocking bet. The BB and big stack called. The turn was another spade so I bet my last 200 on the Q with str8 and flush draws and the bb called. The BB showed AQ and I said I got outs. The river was a spade and I announced that was one of them.
Almost even now I was feeling better. The BB was still taking about the hand and pointed out that I had a straight flush. I didn't know. I just knew I had a flush and was good. I won a few more small pots to finish up for the session and went to bed.
I had to be at a family gathering Sat. at noon so I had to leave as soon as I woke up. Over all the short side trip cost me 300 and I won 1300. It was worth the trip but I think one more day would have paid for the whole trip back east. One tip. If you don't stay at the Borgata, which is expensive, keep your parking receipts. They charge $5 to park and you can use the receipt if you leave to take a nap and come back. I learned this late and paid for it.
My results aren't there due to the traveling but on line I lost -35, including rakeback, and live I won 1,657. Taking time off is expensive. There are a few days left in the month that I plan to make the best of.
Friday, October 16, 2009
Down and Out
I put off my income tax return until the last minute because I knew I owed them money. I made a big payment awhile back but I still owed more. This really stressed me out. I played like crap trying to win money and I just felt like a lump of coal. I ended up taking 5 days off doing nothing.
Knowing I had to get it done I jumped in and cleaned my apartment. Love to procrastinate. With a clean place to work I sat down and did my taxes. I owed more then I thought but I bit the bullet and wrote the check. As always, I felt better once it was done and am now working on getting my money back.
I figured out how to grind on-line. I made up all the losses for the month and all the previous months since I started my new data base. On my way to get all my poker losses back since I started playing. With rakeback I am up 605.91 for the week. Live I dropped the ball and lost -590.00.
I know just reading results is boring for the reader but it keeps me focused. I will make more interesting posts starting in November.
Knowing I had to get it done I jumped in and cleaned my apartment. Love to procrastinate. With a clean place to work I sat down and did my taxes. I owed more then I thought but I bit the bullet and wrote the check. As always, I felt better once it was done and am now working on getting my money back.
I figured out how to grind on-line. I made up all the losses for the month and all the previous months since I started my new data base. On my way to get all my poker losses back since I started playing. With rakeback I am up 605.91 for the week. Live I dropped the ball and lost -590.00.
I know just reading results is boring for the reader but it keeps me focused. I will make more interesting posts starting in November.
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