Tuesday, August 26, 2008

No HUD

Have played 3 sessions without a HUD and I do enjoy it very much. I still have all the regs marked but I rely much less on HUD numbers and more on game flow which is nice. The 1st two were winners and the latest was another -6BI session. I know I wasnt going to focus on results, kinda hard when it means your well being and you havent been able to work or string together a winning week. I have logged about 30K hands this month which hopefully will be quite a load more next month. Poker has been very discouraging since my return from Hawaii. I am in my second straight losing month and I just feel like nothing is going my way. I seem to lose a shit ton of flips/get coolered/spew in marginal spots. I am seriously contemplating sacking up and joining a union. I might very well apply and play while I wait to hear back. I have basically decided college isnt for me. I have no desire to return and feel the degree I was going for (BUSINESS) would be worthless anyways. I know it sounds hilarious but I have been considering coaching some 50NL and lower guys as when I play those games I see some regs with glaring wholes and I know I could be of help. Plus a solid no variance income would be nice. I was thinking of offering my services for 50 and hour but I really want a dedicated student. Or multiple.

Saturday, August 16, 2008

Booked a win...

mentally and bank roll wise. I started the session playing super solid and ran QQ into KK and AA prelop and lost. I also lost with AK when I flop tp+nfd and get it in vs 2p. I did not allow it to effect me though. I simply acknowledged that I played my hand correctly and told myself to continue to play my A game. I did manage to make one spewy 3bet stack off with QT which I wasnt a huge fan of. Plus I value towned myself by betting a river for value and calling a fish when he check min raised. besides that I felt I was playing quite well. The only hand I am in the air about is this one.

$1/$2 No Limit Holdem
6 players
Converted at weaktight.com


Stacks:
UTG ($70.95)
Hero ($338.45)
CO ($327.80)
BTN ($205.00)
SB ($280.55)
BB ($393.20)

Pre-flop: ($3, 6 players) Hero is UTG+1

UTG calls $2, Hero raises to $9, CO calls $9, 3 folds, UTG folds

Flop: ($23, 2 players)
Hero bets $16, CO raises to $50, Hero calls $34

Turn: ($123, 2 players)
Hero checks, CO checks

River: ($123, 2 players)
Hero checks, CO checks

Final Pot: $123
Hero shows:
CO shows:

CO wins $120 ( won +$61 )
UTG lost -$2.00
Hero lost -$59.00



Villain was 24/6/2.5 I actually think he plays a very strong game. He 3bet/sqz alot and loves to make moves postflop. This was the 2nd time he raised my flop cbet on this table in like 4 orbits and he had floated/bet the turn with a gutter ball that got there on the river vs me on another table. I was going to 3bet when I realized we were 150BB deep. In retrosepect I think I should say fuck the stacks and trust my read that villain is uber bluffy postflop. Any opinions?

2+2 wisdom

I was just checking some of my older notes out and stumbled upon this. I believe I took this from either J-man's well or Fabian's.

For anyone serious about this game you need to put in the work. Not just looking over HHs and reading posts, but also forcing yourself to be a critical thinker about the game. Stop thinking about results, and what the “right” answer is in certain situations. Think about why you are making your decisions, and why the answer is right.


Something that I read from a Gergery post, that I believe in very strongly, is that the better players essentially have less moments of stupidity, and not really that many more moments of brilliance. If you are an amazing poker player when you are in the zone, but you tilt easily, or lose focus, then you’re still crap. Why has Mike Matusow won a million dollars twice, and gone broke both times? Because he is a world class tournament player when he is playing well, but that just doesn’t happen often enough. Especially in a tournament all it takes is one lapse, one mis-step, and all your hard work is lost. Losses and bad runs are inevitable, but you will only be a “loser” if you let the losses push you off your game. There are plenty of talented losers out there, because they let results skew their vision of what they should actually be doing.

My last point is just to remind ourselves that we get everything we deserve in poker. No one gets [censored] over more than anyone else, and if you convince yourself that you do, then you are leading yourself down a bad path. It happens all the time that someone will make 5 bad plays in a row, then get all their money in as a huge favorite and lose, and then blame their loss on bad luck. All you can ever do in poker is make the best decision possible. Anything beyond your control is just that, immune to your complaints and self-pity. Any time someone will ask a question like “was he good, or did he get lucky to win that tournament?” I want to smack them in the face. As if the two things are mutually exclusive? Even if you were all in as a 5-1 dog multiple times in a tournament, and won every time, that doesn’t make you “more lucky” than someone who was all in with the best of it every time. If you get all in with TT and your opponent happens to have AA, you are at that point 20%. But when you got your money in, if his range was 55-AA, AJ+, KQ, then you really aren’t getting yourself in as a 20% shot in the long run. In my mind thinking that you are somehow more lucky to win against the AA than against the 99 is silly. It is like people who think it is a bad beat to have AA all in preflop, your opponent outflop you, then you river a set. All you can be concerned about is getting your money in in profitable situations.

Ok my final final note, is just to remind people to make sure they know why they are playing poker. If you are playing casually, then have fun and enjoy yourself. If you are playing for the money or like me for the challenge, then step up to the freakin plate and don’t be so lazy. Everything is within your grasp if you set your mind to it. Poker is a game not like much else out there. Not everyone can be a great basketball player, not everyone has the intellectual capacity for chess, etc etc, but in my mind anybody can be a winning poker player if they can pass a basic IQ test, and can learn discipline, and have the drive. Don’t let bad runs discourage you, think of the bigger picture. If you want to be playing WPT events in a few years, and not 5 dollar tournaments, it is more attainable than you think.

Thursday, August 14, 2008

Fuck me!!!

I suck at life. I am so insanely upset with poker. I dont even know why. I continue to allow emotion to play a role in my decision making and it is driving me insane. I just straight up lose it too. This game is so fucking dumb. I know everyone of you have been there. Its who can stay stable and continue to make the correct choices that will own. Thing is when we play perfect and continually get ass raped poker really fucks with me. I am up for the month and played 20k hands already. But I just had another -7 BI session where I allowed my emotions to come into play and cause me to make split second decisions without a real reason. Of course 4-5 coolers occured and then I spewed in 2 spots. WOW I am a train wreck.

Monday, August 11, 2008

Fuck

I so fucking hate myself when I play a session and just spew like mad and I know it. That is what I just did. Managed to spew 5 BI's in under and hour just playing retarded. I love paying off donks I guess. Sick life. I think my problem is I was semi-rushed to play. I am stuck being daddy daycare and as much as I love my son to death, I need to work. The thing is I need my routine too. Watching a 3 year old from the time you wake up till the afternoon and then trying to focus on poker is not cool imo. Coming off a -5K month and not being able to grind is equally not cool.I just want to own souls and live in a cave.

Thursday, August 7, 2008

Kinda joined another crew.

Wouldnt mind some feedback on these hands.

http://destined2pwn.livejournal.com/

Tuesday, August 5, 2008

Thanks

Thanks for reading this thing. Thanks for responding to my hands. Got some freee time today and put in a 3 hour 6 tabling session where I played 17/13/4. I was quite snug preflop but did manage to 3bet 5% and get some decent action. I am still adjusting to 6 tabling while trying to table select well. Like my growth in 6 max I think my game is regressed to my more nitty style which I feel is still very profitable. I iamgine I will slowly open up as I become more and more familiar and adjusted to 6 tabling. I still manage some decent reads.

Hand 1: Please please rip me a new one for saying this but can I find a fold here? I honestly knew I was going to see a made hand more times then AK and reality is I dont think this guy spew jams 66-99 or Axs. Thus I have him square on TT+ and AK+. Is folding that bad when reality calling is like 98% a flip vs TT+. By the way villain 33/24/3.9 over 169 hands. Obv I am being results oriented.

$1/$2 No Limit Holdem
5 players
Converted at weaktight.com


Stacks:
UTG ($194.50)
CO ($200.00)
Hero ($211.00)
SB ($587.40)
BB ($139.70)

Pre-flop: ($3, 5 players) Hero is BTN

1 fold, CO raises to $7, Hero raises to $21, 1 fold, BB calls $19, CO raises to $200, Hero raises to $211, BB folds

Flop: ($433, 2 players)

Turn: ($433, 2 players)

River: ($433, 2 players)

Final Pot: $433
CO shows:
Hero shows:

CO wins $419 ( won +$219 )
Hero wins $11 ( lost -$200 )
BB lost -$21.00


Hand 2: Is getting QQ in here a spew? Guy seemed like a weird nitty raiser yet semi loose caller. 24/12/4 AP style. Is flatting my best option and then getting it in on non A/K flops best. or should I flat and play semi cautiously?

$1/$2 No Limit Holdem
6 players
Converted at weaktight.com


Stacks:
UTG ($282.75)
Hero ($271.75)
CO ($238.55)
BTN ($308.00)
SB ($83.95)
BB ($142.00)

Pre-flop: ($3, 6 players) Hero is UTG+1

1 fold, Hero raises to $7, 3 folds, BB raises to $14, Hero raises to $43, BB raises to $142, Hero calls $99

Flop: ($285, 2 players)

Turn: ($285, 2 players)

River: ($285, 2 players)

Final Pot: $285
BB shows:
Hero shows:

BB wins $282 ( won +$140 )
Hero lost -$142.00


Hand 3:Value towning myself. I like my DB as I think his one pair hands 55-88 will usually call again. The river is a check reeval imo. I think I playesd this hand perfect vs 18/15/12 (691)


$1/$2 No Limit Holdem
6 players
Converted at weaktight.com


Stacks:
UTG ($344.00)
Hero ($228.00)
CO ($200.00)
BTN ($238.00)
SB ($87.10)
BB ($210.00)

Pre-flop: ($3, 6 players) Hero is UTG+1

1 fold, Hero raises to $7, 1 fold, BTN calls $7, 2 folds

Flop: ($17, 2 players)
Hero bets $14, BTN calls $14

Turn: ($45, 2 players)
Hero bets $35, BTN calls $35

River: ($115, 2 players)
Hero checks, BTN checks

Final Pot: $115
BTN shows:
Hero shows:

BTN wins $112 ( won +$56 )
Hero lost -$56.00


Hand 4: One for fun. This guy was 19/5/3 and I had never seen him donk before. Should I raise the turn?

$1/$2 No Limit Holdem
5 players
Converted at weaktight.com


Stacks:
UTG ($409.00)
CO ($208.00)
Hero ($342.45)
SB ($204.15)
BB ($369.00)

Pre-flop: ($3, 5 players) Hero is BTN

2 folds, Hero raises to $6, 1 fold, BB calls $4

Flop: ($13, 2 players)
BB bets $8, Hero calls $8

Turn: ($29, 2 players)
BB bets $20, Hero calls $20

River: ($69, 2 players)
BB checks, Hero bets $54, BB calls $54

Final Pot: $177
Hero shows:
BB shows:

Hero wins $174 ( won +$86 )
BB lost -$88.00