I am responsible...

for my current downswing. I will be responsible for my winning month too. The simple fact is I am 100% responsible for putting my self in spots to win money. I know we cant control the outcome but I have been putting myself in bad spots lately and simply spewing way too much. Spew should not ever be a word I use to describe my play.

As you can tell I have a new outlook on poker and have set some high standards for myself as well. I will refrain from making my goals public but I will update you as I progress towards them. One thing I will say is I have decided to play 2hr sessions now and nail 3 a day, this should make volume a piece of cake.

Last I will be posting every morning from now on when I review my previous days hands. Look for links to the forums.

Uh oh

Started off the month strong only to get housed last night at 200NL in 3bet pots. Decided to grind hard today and things have continued. I am going to stay solid and just play 100Nl for the next 10k hands. Hopefully my run gay in 3bet pots will subside. Nothing like setting someone up only to run OP into there 2p on a J64fd flop. Anyways poker is a crazy ass game which always slams you back down if you start feeling high and mighty.

My plan is to study and grind if my fucking life will ever allow for it.

Areas to improve

Ok so if you havent read Grogheadflows blog you should. I enjoy his style of setting areas to concentrate on during play and grading his level during sessions. I dont think I will take it as far as he has but I still want to identify some areas to work on and make them my focus during play.

1st and foremost my concentration throughout a hand needs improvment. Basically I never want to find myself in a spot where I am clueless of my opponents range. So my main goal this month and forever will be to think through each decision I make street by street beginning at preflop. There is no reason I should ever raise without stopping and looking left all the way around the table and considering stacks and my opponents tendencies. This should contyinue on every street as well. I want to always know why I am making a decision.

2nd I intend to improve on two areas of my game this month. Playing in 3bet pots as the caller vs aggro 3betters. As well as playing postflop as the non aggressor when I choose to flat from the blinds. I think these two areas are where I have the most room for improvement and are needed as you make the climb up the stakes.

My month has began slow due to my car issues but I am going to nail 40k hands. This weekend I am going to get to play a ton and make up for the two days I missed.

Grindage

September has officially arrived and I need to play a shit ton this month. I crushed August but slacked off in the volume department. This month is 40k hands or bust. Speaking of busting my engine blew up on my ride while away on a trip which is going to put a dent in my BR for sure. Anyways just more reason to play play play. One thing I am lacking is study time as well. My biggest downfall is time wasting on the web. This month I am going to make a conscious effort to minimize web surfing and put a greater emphasis on pre game study and post game review. Hopefully this blog will be a place for some of that. I will be keeping a count on my sessions and hands as well.

19.5k

Thats all the fucking hands I played this month after flying out to a sweet start. My kid being without daycare and camping/LA weekends amount to slacking. I killed it for like $50+ an hour playing mainly 100NL though I did manage 2k hands at 200NL with a very small win rate. I am actually a bit disappointed in my performance at the tables as of late and have some minor tweaks to make as well as some deep thinking to do. Sept should be a month for productivity with my little man back at school and no major events planned. I also plan on restricting myself from Sun-Thur drinking which will mean poker at night.

I will leave you with a few hands of interest. But real quick I will try and post on DC and link hands for you guys to comment either there or here.

Call,call,call?
~I was bulldozing the table and villain was the mark playing like 60vpip. I had a note that he liked to slowplay though it did indicate that he VB small. By the river my odds were to nice to fold. Thoughts on all streets appreciated.

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


Stacks:

Hero (CO)		($246.55)
BTN		($217.47)
SB		($350.28)
BB		($246.55)

Pre-flop: ($5, 4 players) Hero is CO

Hero raises to $6, BTN calls $6, 1 fold, BB calls $4

Flop: ($23, 3 players)
BB checks, Hero bets $16, BTN raises to $35, BB folds, Hero calls $19

Turn: ($93, 2 players)
Hero checks, BTN bets $52, Hero calls $52

River: ($197, 2 players)
Hero checks, BTN bets $70, Hero calls $70

Final Pot: $337
BTN shows:
Hero shows:

Hero wins $333 ( won +$170 )
BTN lost -$163
BB lost -$6


Missed value?
~No reads besides donkish stats and a uber low AF. Turn I consider raising for value though I am not super stoked getting it in at this point I dont think. River is an easy value raise based on bet sizing. Again thoughts are welcome.

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


Stacks:

UTG		($290.05)
UTG+1		($391.10)
CO		($462.74)
Hero (BTN)		($215.05)
SB		($113.50)
BB		($254.10)

Pre-flop: ($3, 6 players) Hero is BTN

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

Flop: ($13, 2 players)
BB checks, Hero bets $8, BB raises to $16, Hero calls $8

Turn: ($45, 2 players)
BB bets $20, Hero calls $20

River: ($85, 2 players)
BB bets $20, Hero raises to $70, BB calls $50

Final Pot: $225
Hero shows:
BB shows:

Hero wins $221.50 ( won +$109.50 )
BB lost -$112


Hero call of the month?
~Flop seems standard. Turn I decide villain always has a FD or a worse hand then mine so I VB. River is the old well if you have J9 you are the illest.

$0.5/$1 No Limit Holdem
6 players
Converted at weaktight.com


Stacks:

UTG		($82.20)
UTG+1		($53.40)
Hero (CO)		($109.30)
BTN		($167.25)
SB		($212.60)
BB		($117.75)

Pre-flop: ($1.50, 6 players) Hero is CO

2 folds, Hero raises to $3, 1 fold, SB calls $2.50, BB calls $2

Flop: ($9, 3 players)
SB bets $5.50, BB raises to $11, Hero calls $11, SB folds

Turn: ($36.50, 2 players)
BB bets $4, Hero raises to $22, BB calls $18

River: ($80.50, 2 players)
BB bets $80.50, Hero calls $73.30

Final Pot: $234.30
BB shows:
Hero shows:

BB wins $7.20 ( lost -$109.30 )
Hero wins $223.60 ( won +$114.30 )
SB lost -$8.50


See you next month!

40

So I played quite terrible yesterday and was overall just not pleased with play from my 1st session which lead to me not playing anymore. This is something I know Taylor used to do and I just felt like regrouping and starting fresh today was the best idea. Unfortunately I decided to make some less then par decisions today to start my session and was near quitting because of my play but decided to play through and turned it around with some sweet hands. I posted one hand on DC

Biggest BB pot?
I was playing insane on this table just pounding on the donk limper and I think preflop is an easy call. Flop is standard I think. WOW!

$0.5/$1 No Limit Holdem
6 players
Converted at weaktight.com


Stacks:

UTG		($218.37)
Hero (UTG+1)		($180.95)
CO		($100.00)
BTN		($230.65)
SB		($199.00)
BB		($311.25)

Pre-flop: ($1.50, 6 players) Hero is UTG+1

UTG calls $1, Hero raises to $4.50, CO raises to $14.75, 3 folds, UTG calls $13.75, Hero calls $10.25

Flop: ($45.75, 3 players)
UTG checks, Hero checks, CO bets $29.50, UTG calls $29.50, Hero raises to $100, CO calls $55.75, UTG calls $70.50

Turn: ($331, 3 players)
UTG checks, Hero bets $66.20, UTG calls $66.20

River: ($463.40, 3 players)

Final Pot: $463.40
UTG shows:
Hero shows:
CO shows:

Hero wins $460.40 ( won +$279.45 )
UTG lost -$180.95
CO lost -$100


3bet potsky.
~Villain is a light 3better with a polarized range and he likes to pound on my LP iso's. I flat OOP which is a bit fresh for me and I am not to sure of it in general. Flop I excpect him to play straightforward given he knows I fold a ton to 3bets and when he chxs I know he is weak. Turn is a perfect bluff card for villain and I do actually consider leading it to take that option away. I decide to c/c instead with the idea of c/c the river. River is air though it does give me the nuts vs his semi bluffs+P and I decided if he jammed I was calling because this guy is super aggro and will try and make me fold TT/QQ and other weak 1p hands here a ton. I really wish he folded for his last quarter. (This may have been terrible poker but I was thinking)

$0.5/$1 No Limit Holdem
6 players
Converted at weaktight.com


Stacks:

UTG		($182.40)
UTG+1		($324.80)
Hero (CO)		($149.50)
BTN		($104.75)
SB		($133.45)
BB		($139.96)

Pre-flop: ($1.50, 6 players) Hero is CO

UTG calls $1, 1 fold, Hero raises to $4.50, BTN raises to $15, 2 folds, UTG folds, Hero calls $10.50

Flop: ($32.50, 2 players)
Hero checks, BTN checks

Turn: ($32.50, 2 players)
Hero checks, BTN bets $19, Hero calls $19

River: ($70.50, 2 players)
Hero checks, BTN bets $70.50, Hero raises to $115.50, BTN calls $0.25

Final Pot: $256.75
BTN shows:
Hero shows:

Hero wins $253.25 ( won +$103.75 )
BTN lost -$104.75
UTG lost -$1