Some moderate success

I finally had some moderate success yesterday. My plan lately was to try to satellite into the $400k guarantee. I also had some attempts at satelliting into a FTOPS event. After a couple tries and no success I decided I would use all but my last $100 to try to satellite into a large event. This left me about $20.

I did end up winning a 45 person $1 rebuy SNG satellite to the $50 +5 satellite to the $400k. I also entered two freeroll tournaments at almost the same time. One was a PPA $2500 freeroll. The other was a 315 person level 1 Main Event qualifier.

The PPA freeroll was actually played something like a real $ tourny by most entrants. I ended up placing in about 80th out of about 900 people. I never really got much going and was a shortstack for most of the way. It was easy to not get involved with less than premium holdings or less than desireable position while I was playing the two other tournaments.

I also ended up winning the 315 level 1 qualifier. These tournaments start off pretty crazy. I didn't keep notes on many hands and haven't figured out Poker Tracker enough to find the key hands. I played very tight for much of it, but was pretty much all-in if I had a hand for the majority of the tournament. I was just hanging in there until one hand where I pushed from UTG with a suited A and M=~4. I got 5 callers including 4 more all-ins (and was actually ahead of 3 of them). I ended up sextupling up when I caught my flush on the river. This gave me plenty of chips to make it to the final table where I proceeded to dominate the table.




So if nothing else I have got some confidence back. I hope I can use it to make the $400k and hopefully cash as well.

I do have some hand histories to discuss. Both good plays and bad. I'll need to spend some time reviewing them before I post them though.

Affiliates

I have added a link to Ultimate Bet. I have yet to deposit there so I really have no opinion to share yet. They do have blackjack which I like alot, but is not really very profitable for me. They also have some kind of blackjack tournaments. They have also just added R0ShamBo.

I have also just signed up for Amazon Affiliates. So before to long you'll see some Amazon links here. Please use them if you plan on buying anything from Amazon.

I have also moved the poker news section to the bottom of the page. I don't really know if I'll keep it. I have not really seen anything there that special.

As for poker lately, I have at least slowed the bleeding. I've really only been trying to satellite into major tournaments. I've had no luck, but feel my play has been acceptable.

Frustration

Sometimes I feel like I will never succeed at this game. As the losses pile up it gets much harder to find my 'A' game. As much bad luck as I have experienced the last couple weeks I know it would be detrimental to my game to blame it all on luck.

I feel right now if I keep playing like I have been I will exhaust my bankroll and have to take an extended break in order to replenish it. I really feel like I can (and need to) avoid that. I know that poker is a lifetime of learning. I know that everyday that I play I become more poker intelligent. I am finding it hard to deal with seeing people succeed that I see doing so many things poorly.

I am going to take the rest of the month very light. I don't plan on finishing up the Full Tilt Iron Man this month. I plan on ordering another poker book to read. I am still going to give another shot at a satellite entry into the $400k guarantee. Obviously if I can get into and cash in the $400k my confidence will skyrocket.

I need to get some confidence back as it has dwindled into little more than a total lack of confidence. I know what I am experiencing has happened to many people. I also know that it has happened to the best. I hope I can come out of it a better, more well rounded poker player.

As a side note if anyone reads this please let me know what you think about the Google News I have added to the right side of the page.

Lunch Poker is -EV

For a couple weeks now I've had the 'feeling' my lunch time poker had been going poorly. I would often spend about an hour playing poker during my lunch. I was regularly loosing. Usually small amounts that I would regain the same evening. A couple times the loses were more than just a little.

I had told myself that I should quit playing at lunch, but still many days I'd hop on and play some stud. With all my loses lately it was much easier to convince myself to not play. I have in fact not played very much during that last couple weeks.

I was just going through some of my data last night from Check Your Bets and came to a horrifying conclusion. Lunch was by far the worst hour on record. Nothing else really came close.

So now that I have backed up my "feeling" with cold hard facts, I am telling myself and you that I cannot allow myself to play at lunch anymore. Some of my coworkers will be disappointed. Some would come by and watch a little and try to learn something. (almost none of them have actually ever played for money so learning included what beat what for some)

On a side note my losses are still adding up. I played 4 SNGs last night. I finished 4th, 4th, 3rd and 9th. I'm not really disappointed in my play, but I got no breaks when they counted. I'm still pretty inexperienced in these SNG's, but I hope I can improve my results quickly.

Back to Square One

My losses continue to add up. My bankroll is now back to where I started this month. I can honestly attribute much of this lack of success to running bad, but I can also see where I have played hands poorly.
I played some $0.25/$0.50 NL cash last week. I was up and down. I lost a couple hands against (2) different players who bought in for the minimum ($10). I find that often when people buy in for the minimum they are hoping for at least one quick double up to earn some quick cash, or continue to push people off hands by going all-in quickly with any two.
Both the players I doubled up on their very first hand at the table. Both players were dealt K-K their very first hand. Both times I hit the flop reasonably and thought I was ahead.
Even with both these unfortunate hands I managed to stay near even for the session. I was down $15 until this hand.

Ooops, I guess I played the hand on my other computer. Maybe I'll get to post the hand later, but a quick overview.

6 handed max

J3 dealt 5-8 in the SB

Everyone limps so I am obliged to call. BB checks.

flop is 5 10 2

Everyone checks.

Turn is 5 (also putting up a second diamond)

Everyone checks again.

River is Q (no diamond so no flush or straight possibilities)

I bet $2 (about 2/3 pot)

BB raises to about $8 (quickly and with pot raise button I believe)

folded around to button (a player I earlier had doubled up who continued to play very poorly)

I raise all-in thinking unless someone has 10-10 and slowplayed the set on the flop and a turned boat I am ahead.

Both the BB and Button call.

BB shows A-5 to win the pot.

Button shows Q-7 and really thought he was good?

What I really learned from this session is that I need to do a better job of table selection. Most of the table had played solid thus far with the exception of the two players I double up. Neither one of those guys lasted very long both going broke before leaving. The other four players all were at least as good as I was if not better. I know I can find a table where I am far better than most. I need to realize when this is not the case and move to another table. I need to not be hard headed and egotistical thinking I can beat anyone.

I think I am taking a break from the cash games for a while to concentrate on SNG and MTT

Ups and Downs

So far this month has been positive. I need to keep reminding myself that when I have losing sessions. April started off very well. Before the last few days I had already nearly reached my goal of $500. I have since lost over $100 and am down to $345. I have a long ways to go to get where I really want to be. I need to remember to take it in stride.

I made a worthwhile attempt to satellite into the $400k guarantee. I entered a $7 + $0.50 STT super sat to the $50 + $5.

I got lucky early when my 8-8 beat J-J. I didn't play another hand until I pick up 4-4 OTB (On The Button) in an unraised pot. I raise not really wanting a call, but the short stacked BB calls. BB checks the flop and I put him all-in. He calls with Q-10 not giving me credit for anything. The 4's hold up and I am in the chip lead with (6) left. A few hands later someone takes out (2) people and it's down to (4).

A couple hands later I'm in BB w/ K-J. (1) limper and SB calls. I check to see a flop of K-J-9. I take someone out holding K-9. Down to (3). With (3) left I am very aggressive. The short stack is busted and its heads up with pretty even stacks. I have about 30BB so I intend to be somewhat patient as a seat is awarded only to 1st place.

I keep up my aggression and win every pot but (1) in which he re-raised my PF bet all-in. It was only about (5) hands into HU when my 5-5 beat his K-10 (with a 5 on the river) to take 1st place.

Unfortunately the $50 + $5 didn't go very well for me. I didn't really get much for cards, but that wasn't my only problem. I really misjudged this tourney all together. I had really believed I could play very tight and win my seat as ~23% get seats to the $400k. I continued to watch after I was busted to get an idea of where the tourney was when the seats were awarded. I watched Lee Watkinson patiently wait for the bubble.

What I learned from continuing to watch the satellite was that the blinds were nearly the size of the starting stack when the seats were awarded. I learned that I needed to be much more aggressive with some less then premium holding if I was going to last long enough. Otherwise I would just be waiting around hoping my all-in stood up like my first attempt.

This weekend Full Tilt will have a $750k guarantee. The buy in for this event is $500 + $35. A little steep for me to even sat into. So I will try again next week to satellite into the $400k.

April 2007 - Goals

First of all this weekend went badly. I had some unlucky bubbles and then went on to play very poorly. I put a big dent in my bankroll and am very disappointed in myself and my play.

To help combat my bad sessions I have decided to start some monthly goals. For April I have come up with the following:

1. Increase my bankroll to $500 (or more of course).
2. Do NOT play when I am bored. DO play when I want to play.
3. Purchase PokerTracker.
4. Satellite into Full Tilt's $400,000 guarantee.

I hope I can accomplish all these goals this month. My bankroll is around $250 now (after my bad weekend) , so I think #1 is conservative. I think #2 will greatly help my game overall.

#4 is the only optimistic goal. I really want to play (and cash) in the event, but will not kick myself if I fail to accomplish this the first month.

Software and Memberships to Buy

There is a ton of poker software and memberships out there for purchase. Some of which should be in any serious poker's arsenal. At this time I have yet to purchase any of these. For my level of play the cost of the software and memberships are alot. I do however realize how insignificant the cost may be if it helps me win more money.

Below are some of what I have found and been informed of, some descriptions of each and links if anyone would like some more information. (In no particular order)

SharkScope - A website that offers player statistics for SNG's (Sit 'N' Go's) from many major sites. They also have an option to search for registering SNG's with a 'rating' of how fishy or sharky. They do allow 5 free searches a day for free, which I often use. They offer both a monthly subscription plan as well as a fixed number of searches plan.

The PokerDB - (Now owned by Bluff Magazine.) A website similar to Sharkscope, but for MTT (Multi Table Tournaments). Now that it is being run by Bluff, it appears to be a very extensive database. The free version is very useful. You can have a watch list to track any number of players you'd like.

Poker Tracker - A software program for tracking your own statistics as well as anyone else you are playing against. Poker Tracker is available in (3) versions. They are Hold'em, Omaha and Stud. The Omaha and Stud versions work with all variations of each game. Hi, Hi-lo, etc.

PokerAce HUD - An add-on to Poker Tracker that adds a Heads Up Display. Basically it puts statistics of the players at your table on the table while you are playing.

Idle Miner - An add-on to Poker Tracker that gets hand histories of tables and players while you are not playing. It can run while you are not at home at all. Lets you choose what limits, table size, max and min players, etc.

Sit-n-Go Power Tools - A software program for analyzing and understanding your play during the bubble stage of SNG's. This understanding can be extrapolated to MTT final table play as well. During the bubble stage Pushing or Folding are often the only correct plays and this software can help you find which is the correct choice.

PokerXFactor - A website with a wide range of poker training and evaluation. For starters they have training videos made by Online pro's of their actual game play with a voice overlay. With membership you have the ability to animate entire hand histories into an easy to see table like view. They have just recently added some tools built into this with 'PXF Hand History Analyzer'

Now this list is far from exhaustive, but it does include some of the most usefull options I have come across. I plan to add most if not all of these softwares and memberships to my arsenal over some time. It may take some time as these add up to $100's.

I hope you have found this helpful. If there is anything you believe should be on this list just add a comment and I may add it at a later time.