Well I am truely becoming absent minded as I could have sworn I did a post in December. Maybe I did and blogspot gnomes deleted it!
Anyways, I thought I had done a small post on my casino visits.
While traveling home to visit family over the Thanksgiving day weekend I was fortunate enough to visit 3 casinos : Wheeling Downs in WV, The Meadows in Washington PA and Hollywood at Penn National Race Track just outside of Harrisburg.
The first visit was to Wheeling Downs where I have played several times before. The business in the room seems down from previous years but that is most likely due to the PA casinos opening their poker rooms. Not much has changed at Wheeling and they still managed to have 2-3 tables up till the morning hours. Actually I don't think the second table broke before 2 AM which is pretty good for a Tuesday night. Play was pretty standard with a few true novices sitting down and donating then leaving. There were a few loose players who kept the game going also. I didn't win alot but managed a small profit.
I left about 4 in the morning on my way to the Meadows in PA. Only about a half hour drive between the casinos. I came to find out that no employee or business partner (including suppliers) of any PA casino may play in any casino in PA. They must travel out of state if they wish to enjoy any casino action. I think this is a ridiculous rule for the PA casinos.
The Meadows poker room is very nice and pretty spacious. I believe they had 21 tables in their room and you were not bumping into people at the next table. The place only had one table going when I showed up at 4:30 AM but I did make another visit on the return trip 5 days later. :) Meadows had competent good dealers and the players were for the most part enjoyable. They do drawings after like 3 AM for $50 free money so that is something to look forward to when you are grinding it out in the wee hours before dawn. LOL Again managed a small profit and had a good time.
Left the Meadows around 8:30 AM on my way to Harrisburg PA. I got there around noon and was happy to find the poker room already had 5 tables running. This room has some unusual rules which are different from other PA rooms and even the Hollywood Casino in Lawrenceburg IN (Cinci). I do not recall the specifics but I remember being frustrated with the room. The floor personel even acknowledge the strangeness of the rules but said it was out of their hands. Another thing they allow is for players to run up a stack at one table and then ask for a table change and take $700 of the table and sit back down with $100 at the new table. Missplayed two hand within the first 20 minutes and woud play another 4 hours to end a losing session due to those two hands. Had a decent time with most of my table mates there.
I did not return to Hollywood on my return trip as it was slightly out of the way.
Hopefully I will improve my memory and writing to make my trip reports more interesting to read in the future. :)
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Summer is nearly over.......
Wow... hard to believe that it has been nearly 3 months since I posted on here.... I am getting worse.
But I really haven't been playing alot of poker.... at least not live. Even online due to a decimated bankroll I haven't played alot of cash tournaments. Mainly been playing freerolls. And lots of them. LOL
During most of the month of July I hardly played live at all. Actually I think I only played live poker once that whole month. The month of June helped set up my hiatus as I had a losing month. I should have known I would jinx myself by posting that I had only had two losing weeks for 2010 in my last posting......
Someone please remind me not to brag or be pleased with myself again. LOL
When I have played live since July it has been a mixed bag. Some days playing well after putting myself in a hole early in the sessions. And other days just being card dead and not being able to put any hands together that would hold up. I have been a little better at playing the other players occasionally and not just my cards. So at least in that there is some improvement and a little bit of a silver lining in my grey clouds. LOL
As for online, my play worsened and I also ran bad. I pretty much drained my FTP account though I still have a small amount left. Trying now to just play micro ring games to build it back up but that has been something of a roller coaster for me in the past 30 days.
I have played many freerolls on FTP, PS and UB. I tend to go pretty deep but frequently come up just short of cashing since you have to be in the top .2 to .5 percent of the field. I did manage to place second in a freeroll on FTP. 7500 started I believe.
On Walker poker I managed to have my account drop below $100 for the first time in awhile but I have almost doubled the amount since then. I believe I am playing smarter and also more willing to put my money in when I believe I have them beat even when I don't have the nutz. Many players on there are uber aggressive and will push you off of hands with all ins that are like 10x what the pot is.
I also have an old friend who is now interested in online poker. He is just learning the game so at this time he is only playing play money and freerolls. Just trying to help him play tight to begin with to get a feel for the game and maybe get lucky and cash in a freeroll. He is really enjoying it for now. Will see how long it takes till it frustrates the hell out of him like it does everyone else from time to time. LOL
As for the Columbus poker scene, we are now back to 9 clubs. This is even after 6 have closed. Nick's Shark Tank being the newest on Bethel Rd. Pretty nice club.
There is another new club, The Bicycle Club, but I am unfamiliar with it.
Also, the local Vegas Nights group is running 7 days a week in the same location, so basically they are another club but they still rake the games for charities.
Just under two years till they will complete the casino here in Columbus.
No new trips to any casinos but I am starting to jones for one. Probably will make a trip in the next month or two. Might even go to the casinos in Detroit for the first time.
But I really haven't been playing alot of poker.... at least not live. Even online due to a decimated bankroll I haven't played alot of cash tournaments. Mainly been playing freerolls. And lots of them. LOL
During most of the month of July I hardly played live at all. Actually I think I only played live poker once that whole month. The month of June helped set up my hiatus as I had a losing month. I should have known I would jinx myself by posting that I had only had two losing weeks for 2010 in my last posting......
Someone please remind me not to brag or be pleased with myself again. LOL
When I have played live since July it has been a mixed bag. Some days playing well after putting myself in a hole early in the sessions. And other days just being card dead and not being able to put any hands together that would hold up. I have been a little better at playing the other players occasionally and not just my cards. So at least in that there is some improvement and a little bit of a silver lining in my grey clouds. LOL
As for online, my play worsened and I also ran bad. I pretty much drained my FTP account though I still have a small amount left. Trying now to just play micro ring games to build it back up but that has been something of a roller coaster for me in the past 30 days.
I have played many freerolls on FTP, PS and UB. I tend to go pretty deep but frequently come up just short of cashing since you have to be in the top .2 to .5 percent of the field. I did manage to place second in a freeroll on FTP. 7500 started I believe.
On Walker poker I managed to have my account drop below $100 for the first time in awhile but I have almost doubled the amount since then. I believe I am playing smarter and also more willing to put my money in when I believe I have them beat even when I don't have the nutz. Many players on there are uber aggressive and will push you off of hands with all ins that are like 10x what the pot is.
I also have an old friend who is now interested in online poker. He is just learning the game so at this time he is only playing play money and freerolls. Just trying to help him play tight to begin with to get a feel for the game and maybe get lucky and cash in a freeroll. He is really enjoying it for now. Will see how long it takes till it frustrates the hell out of him like it does everyone else from time to time. LOL
As for the Columbus poker scene, we are now back to 9 clubs. This is even after 6 have closed. Nick's Shark Tank being the newest on Bethel Rd. Pretty nice club.
There is another new club, The Bicycle Club, but I am unfamiliar with it.
Also, the local Vegas Nights group is running 7 days a week in the same location, so basically they are another club but they still rake the games for charities.
Just under two years till they will complete the casino here in Columbus.
No new trips to any casinos but I am starting to jones for one. Probably will make a trip in the next month or two. Might even go to the casinos in Detroit for the first time.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Almost Summertime........
Well it has been a few months since my last posting.
For myself, not much has changed. I have continued to grind and to very slowly build my bankroll. I have never quite gotten to the point where I play at least 3 times a week live on a regular basis. If I was able to do that (sometimes just need the desire to do it) I could probably build my bankroll much more quickly.
For 2010, I have only had two weeks that were losing weeks!! And those were the first two weeks of the year!! I have had a few significant losing sessions yet have managed to make a profit every week. Some have been very small but still a profit. This past week nearly saw that streak of winning weeks come to an end as Saturday night saw me stuck over 2 buyins and it was 3 in the morning. LOL Wasn't looking so good. I got extremely lucky on one hand and that hand got me a decent profit for the day. I played A6s in mid position. Late position good player raised to $12 and got one other caller. I gambled and called also. Flop came down AK6 rainbow. Check, I checked, OR (original raiser) bets $30, EP player folds. I CR to $75. He flats. Turn is A. I bet $80, he flats again. River is a Q. At this point I get concerned that he has AQ. I didn't think he had AK because I felt he would have reraised me on flop or turn. I checked. I only had $200 in front of me. He went AI and I called. He had KK! I hit my two outter on the turn for the miracle and a nice size pot. Normally that the A on the turn happens against me when I trap someone with a monster like he did to me. He had me buried and I never saw that hand coming. Got very lucky but we all do at times and I will take it when I can.
As for the poker scene in central Ohio, we have begun to see a shaking out of the clubs. Of the 11 that were open at the beginning of the year one closed permanently and two others closed for "renovations". It remains to be seen if they will open back up. Expecting more "renovations" this summer as the weather gets better.
Gemini Berea Ohio was forced to close for the time being after the city cancelled its occupancy permit after alot of pressure from outside sources. They claim they just don't want it but all of the facts of the club were laid out in the process of getting the permits. Most likely it is the Jacobs group applying the pressure as Gemini put a hurt on their "charity" operations at Nautica.
I came close to winning a $12k package for the WSOP on FTP for $1. I played well, ran well but then got too tight. I was in the top 15 of the remaining 140 players and had been moved to the table with the CL who was abusing the field with his 1.4M in chips. I had 800k. Was dealt 66 in EP and did not want to tangle with the CL because he raised 99% of the hands and CB each time also. Not to mention a few shorter stacks on my left who may have pushed for $150k to $300k to pick up the blinds and antes which totalled over $40k ($10k/$20k, $1k ante). After I fold the rest of the field folds to the SB who flats the call. Naturally the BB (CL) raises but only a min raise. Curious as to whether the raise would have been greater had I entered the pot. Flop was KJ6 of course. Both players got it AI as they both connected on the flop with one pair. The set would have held and I would have had a 2.2M plus stack. I could reasonably have cruised to the ft. They were only giving away 5 of the $12k packages. Not making that play really bothered me and I managed to put myself on tilt and wasted away my chips. I went out 104th. Disappointing as that is the closest I have ever come to winning a seat. Tournament started with nearly 31k players! It is a good tournament and I recommend it to anyone who plays on FTP.
That has been the highlight of my online play. I have been doing miserably online but that is due to poor play and not alot of volume.
In live play I made my first foray to a New York casino. Went to Turning Stone casino in the middle of the state. It is an Indian casino so my friend who is only 18 was able to play there. We had a pretty good time and we were successful also. We did not crush the games as we had hoped but managed to make a profit for the trip. That was only my second trip to a casino in the past few months. The other trip being a two day-one night trip to Belterra in Indiana with a friend. I managed to win both days and for the most part stay away from the slots and pits.
Hope everyone has a succesful and fun summer. I plan to continue the bankroll building. I hope to step it up some as I now have a few extra buy ins to mess around with.
For myself, not much has changed. I have continued to grind and to very slowly build my bankroll. I have never quite gotten to the point where I play at least 3 times a week live on a regular basis. If I was able to do that (sometimes just need the desire to do it) I could probably build my bankroll much more quickly.
For 2010, I have only had two weeks that were losing weeks!! And those were the first two weeks of the year!! I have had a few significant losing sessions yet have managed to make a profit every week. Some have been very small but still a profit. This past week nearly saw that streak of winning weeks come to an end as Saturday night saw me stuck over 2 buyins and it was 3 in the morning. LOL Wasn't looking so good. I got extremely lucky on one hand and that hand got me a decent profit for the day. I played A6s in mid position. Late position good player raised to $12 and got one other caller. I gambled and called also. Flop came down AK6 rainbow. Check, I checked, OR (original raiser) bets $30, EP player folds. I CR to $75. He flats. Turn is A. I bet $80, he flats again. River is a Q. At this point I get concerned that he has AQ. I didn't think he had AK because I felt he would have reraised me on flop or turn. I checked. I only had $200 in front of me. He went AI and I called. He had KK! I hit my two outter on the turn for the miracle and a nice size pot. Normally that the A on the turn happens against me when I trap someone with a monster like he did to me. He had me buried and I never saw that hand coming. Got very lucky but we all do at times and I will take it when I can.
As for the poker scene in central Ohio, we have begun to see a shaking out of the clubs. Of the 11 that were open at the beginning of the year one closed permanently and two others closed for "renovations". It remains to be seen if they will open back up. Expecting more "renovations" this summer as the weather gets better.
Gemini Berea Ohio was forced to close for the time being after the city cancelled its occupancy permit after alot of pressure from outside sources. They claim they just don't want it but all of the facts of the club were laid out in the process of getting the permits. Most likely it is the Jacobs group applying the pressure as Gemini put a hurt on their "charity" operations at Nautica.
I came close to winning a $12k package for the WSOP on FTP for $1. I played well, ran well but then got too tight. I was in the top 15 of the remaining 140 players and had been moved to the table with the CL who was abusing the field with his 1.4M in chips. I had 800k. Was dealt 66 in EP and did not want to tangle with the CL because he raised 99% of the hands and CB each time also. Not to mention a few shorter stacks on my left who may have pushed for $150k to $300k to pick up the blinds and antes which totalled over $40k ($10k/$20k, $1k ante). After I fold the rest of the field folds to the SB who flats the call. Naturally the BB (CL) raises but only a min raise. Curious as to whether the raise would have been greater had I entered the pot. Flop was KJ6 of course. Both players got it AI as they both connected on the flop with one pair. The set would have held and I would have had a 2.2M plus stack. I could reasonably have cruised to the ft. They were only giving away 5 of the $12k packages. Not making that play really bothered me and I managed to put myself on tilt and wasted away my chips. I went out 104th. Disappointing as that is the closest I have ever come to winning a seat. Tournament started with nearly 31k players! It is a good tournament and I recommend it to anyone who plays on FTP.
That has been the highlight of my online play. I have been doing miserably online but that is due to poor play and not alot of volume.
In live play I made my first foray to a New York casino. Went to Turning Stone casino in the middle of the state. It is an Indian casino so my friend who is only 18 was able to play there. We had a pretty good time and we were successful also. We did not crush the games as we had hoped but managed to make a profit for the trip. That was only my second trip to a casino in the past few months. The other trip being a two day-one night trip to Belterra in Indiana with a friend. I managed to win both days and for the most part stay away from the slots and pits.
Hope everyone has a succesful and fun summer. I plan to continue the bankroll building. I hope to step it up some as I now have a few extra buy ins to mess around with.
Monday, February 22, 2010
Next.......Month
Rewriting this as I attempted to spell check it and wiped out my original post..... frustrating.
Well my winning cash game sessions continued after last posting. Nothing huge and no large wins but consistent. Only a couple of losses in the mix. Playing fairly well and have had a couple of lucky hits at the right time. I haven't been playing as much as I used to but feel like I have been playing alot.
Tournaments continue to be my most frustrating point. But I think the main reason for that is I have tried to force myself to be more aggressive to pick up chips in order to try to win the tournaments versus just cash. Of course there have also been plenty of being patient and waiting and trapping people and they just continue to get lucky. When I need the luck in the tournaments it usually doesn't happen. But recently I did manage to get very lucky against a couple of friends of mine who are brothers. All 3 of us got it aipf in a freeroll down at Platinum. I had AK while they both held pairs. AA and 44 !! K on flop and K on river for my official donkey win. :)
Online has seen its better days for me. I have bottomed out two of my four accounts while the third (Walker Poker) is all from freeroll money. I am now trying to rebuild something from practically nothing on PS and UB. Both accounts are under $10 right now. Trying to stick mainly to .01/.02 NL. I really haven't been home as much to play so it is slow going. FullTilt (FTP) is my main account theses days. I have been losing steadily lately as I am playing too many MTTs and not cashing. I did managed a nice score couple of weekends ago. Managed to win a $2 MTT with over 600 players. Guess it was just my day. Entered ft as one of the ss. Got the right hands at the right times.
The new Gemini - Berea is doing very well. 9 cash tables on the weekend usually and 2-4 cash tables during the week. Platinum Players Club has been doing fairly well. They had a $100 tournament this past Sunday and got 29 runners. Good for their first $100 tourney. I have yet to visit Paizan's or Premeire but plan to do so on the next couple of months.
Looks like my first trip to Las Vegas to play poker will be postponed. Didn't jump on the cheap flights when I should have and now the cost of the flight would eat up too much of my bankroll to make it worthwhile going out there. I was really looking forward to it and I am dissappointed but I know sometime this year I will probably make it out there.
Well my winning cash game sessions continued after last posting. Nothing huge and no large wins but consistent. Only a couple of losses in the mix. Playing fairly well and have had a couple of lucky hits at the right time. I haven't been playing as much as I used to but feel like I have been playing alot.
Tournaments continue to be my most frustrating point. But I think the main reason for that is I have tried to force myself to be more aggressive to pick up chips in order to try to win the tournaments versus just cash. Of course there have also been plenty of being patient and waiting and trapping people and they just continue to get lucky. When I need the luck in the tournaments it usually doesn't happen. But recently I did manage to get very lucky against a couple of friends of mine who are brothers. All 3 of us got it aipf in a freeroll down at Platinum. I had AK while they both held pairs. AA and 44 !! K on flop and K on river for my official donkey win. :)
Online has seen its better days for me. I have bottomed out two of my four accounts while the third (Walker Poker) is all from freeroll money. I am now trying to rebuild something from practically nothing on PS and UB. Both accounts are under $10 right now. Trying to stick mainly to .01/.02 NL. I really haven't been home as much to play so it is slow going. FullTilt (FTP) is my main account theses days. I have been losing steadily lately as I am playing too many MTTs and not cashing. I did managed a nice score couple of weekends ago. Managed to win a $2 MTT with over 600 players. Guess it was just my day. Entered ft as one of the ss. Got the right hands at the right times.
The new Gemini - Berea is doing very well. 9 cash tables on the weekend usually and 2-4 cash tables during the week. Platinum Players Club has been doing fairly well. They had a $100 tournament this past Sunday and got 29 runners. Good for their first $100 tourney. I have yet to visit Paizan's or Premeire but plan to do so on the next couple of months.
Looks like my first trip to Las Vegas to play poker will be postponed. Didn't jump on the cheap flights when I should have and now the cost of the flight would eat up too much of my bankroll to make it worthwhile going out there. I was really looking forward to it and I am dissappointed but I know sometime this year I will probably make it out there.
Monday, January 18, 2010
New Year.... Same Story...
Well I ended up having a very good end to December in live play. Made a few final tables of some of the small tournaments I play in here and chopped two of the tournaments. Ring games were also a brighter spot than they had been turning in 7 out of 8 winning sessions.
Things were looking very good heading into the new year.
Ahh.... but then reality woke up and smacked me down. Had a fairly large loss (at least as far as my losses go) the first weekend of the year. I continued down that path for the first 2 weeks of the year.
The good thing is that even with that I am playing well and enjoying myself. Little unlucky and a little card dead I can deal with. When I have been at the tables I have fun so even with the losses I am in a different place now than I was 2 months ago.
Recently booked two winning sessions to put a stop to the losses. They only covered about 20% of the losses but helps so that I can continue with a positive attitude.
Have my monthly big tournament coming up this Friday. Should be interesting.
Also, there is a new club opening up with long time poker players running it. These guys are pros out of NJ. This should make for some very interesting situations in Columbus. They will be opening up the 11th...... that's right..... ELEVENTH club in the immediate Columbus area. They even had a write up in Poker Pro magazine and one coming up in CardPlayer. Summer time will see a shakeout of all of these clubs. There is not that much poker action in Columbus to support them all.
Gemini is opening its second club in the greater Cleveland area this Thursday. I wish them well. They should be successful. I also wish The Platinum Players Club success (NJ pros' club) which will be opening this Friday (tentatively).
Things were looking very good heading into the new year.
Ahh.... but then reality woke up and smacked me down. Had a fairly large loss (at least as far as my losses go) the first weekend of the year. I continued down that path for the first 2 weeks of the year.
The good thing is that even with that I am playing well and enjoying myself. Little unlucky and a little card dead I can deal with. When I have been at the tables I have fun so even with the losses I am in a different place now than I was 2 months ago.
Recently booked two winning sessions to put a stop to the losses. They only covered about 20% of the losses but helps so that I can continue with a positive attitude.
Have my monthly big tournament coming up this Friday. Should be interesting.
Also, there is a new club opening up with long time poker players running it. These guys are pros out of NJ. This should make for some very interesting situations in Columbus. They will be opening up the 11th...... that's right..... ELEVENTH club in the immediate Columbus area. They even had a write up in Poker Pro magazine and one coming up in CardPlayer. Summer time will see a shakeout of all of these clubs. There is not that much poker action in Columbus to support them all.
Gemini is opening its second club in the greater Cleveland area this Thursday. I wish them well. They should be successful. I also wish The Platinum Players Club success (NJ pros' club) which will be opening this Friday (tentatively).
Monday, December 21, 2009
Looking forward to the New Year.......
Well the "fall into the Fall" has stopped but hasn't quite turned around. I had pretty much taken a break from live play after the last posting. During that time I continued to play online. Managed to completely wipe out what little bit I had left on PS and just maintain my br on FTP and UB. Still playing too loosely at times. I think it is due to lack of focus. Having fun though and not caring.
I did make a foray into a casino over the Thanksgiving weekend. Traveled to PA for the weekend and stopped at Wheeling Downs. Hadn't been playing live so I definitely enjoyed sitting back at a table with chips. Also previously had been very card dead in live play for a few months. I actually lost at Wheeling but got hands I was able to play. I enjoyed myself even though I lost and felt a little renewed in live play.
After returning from PA I started playing in the weekly Tuesday night game again. Have not had a losing session yet but most have been because I cut it early due to the smoke. I don't know how I ever put up with the local vegas nights when 80% of the players chain smoked. I get such vicious headaches that even if I am winning I can not concentrate nor enjoy myself so I have to leave after as little as 2 hours of play.
Also started playing in the clubs again. Not weekly but several times a month. Not winning consistently but enjoying myself and getting cards I can play. Did well this past week chopping a small tourney and then doing well at the cash table within 2 hours. Was just getting very lucky most of the night.
And last week I also did well online in MTTs on UB. I really had not been playing much on UB as my funds had not been available to me for some time. (long story) LOL But I played several small stake MTTs and managed two final tables. I got a third which was nice as I had been ss in that tournament for most of the last two tables and then I got extremely lucky and won the second ft. Always feels good to have back to back fts.
2009 has been the worst of the past 5 years and I still have managed to eek out a very very very small profit. At this point I guess I am just enjoying playing even though I am only basically breaking even. I know this is a recipe for disaster financially so I am looking to turn things around in 2010 with a renewed focus on growing an actual bankroll.
I did make a foray into a casino over the Thanksgiving weekend. Traveled to PA for the weekend and stopped at Wheeling Downs. Hadn't been playing live so I definitely enjoyed sitting back at a table with chips. Also previously had been very card dead in live play for a few months. I actually lost at Wheeling but got hands I was able to play. I enjoyed myself even though I lost and felt a little renewed in live play.
After returning from PA I started playing in the weekly Tuesday night game again. Have not had a losing session yet but most have been because I cut it early due to the smoke. I don't know how I ever put up with the local vegas nights when 80% of the players chain smoked. I get such vicious headaches that even if I am winning I can not concentrate nor enjoy myself so I have to leave after as little as 2 hours of play.
Also started playing in the clubs again. Not weekly but several times a month. Not winning consistently but enjoying myself and getting cards I can play. Did well this past week chopping a small tourney and then doing well at the cash table within 2 hours. Was just getting very lucky most of the night.
And last week I also did well online in MTTs on UB. I really had not been playing much on UB as my funds had not been available to me for some time. (long story) LOL But I played several small stake MTTs and managed two final tables. I got a third which was nice as I had been ss in that tournament for most of the last two tables and then I got extremely lucky and won the second ft. Always feels good to have back to back fts.
2009 has been the worst of the past 5 years and I still have managed to eek out a very very very small profit. At this point I guess I am just enjoying playing even though I am only basically breaking even. I know this is a recipe for disaster financially so I am looking to turn things around in 2010 with a renewed focus on growing an actual bankroll.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
The fall continues into the Fall.......
Well, as the title suggest my fall online continues. I guess it is more of a slide than a fall but at times it feels like it. Through the last 3 months I have lost about 25% of my online bankroll What once was looking very promising to me.... now has placed me back into reality. LOL
Part of the slide (fall) involved trying my hand at ring games I should not have been in. At the behest of a friend who is fairly successful in online ring games I tried the $50NL games on FTP once. Once and only once. LOL Had two tables open. Told myself if he can do it I can do it. Actually I reasoned that I play live 1/2 and 1/3 NL so why not .25/.50 online. I was risking the same amount of money at two tables that I normally risk at a single live table. Didn't do too bad for a while. Just had a few too many second best hands. Including a set over set which felted me on the one table.
I have also been playing probably too many $5 and up MTTs. Including HORSE and PLO and Stud8. Usually run fairly well and then late in the tourney I will have one hand I will horribly misplay (and sometimes just get unlucky) and then the tournament is usually over for me. I will be so short stacked it doesn't matter because the blinds are so high.
I did just have a decent night last night. Managed a 5th in a NL MTT on UB and a 4th in a HORSE MTT on UB. Both were small fields but was happy making two final tables. Didn't fare so well on FTP or PS.
Live I have been running warm. Not hot, not cold.... just warm. Have had 3 recent sessions in ring games where I have broke even. Unusual to break even in any cash game but did it in 3 different close sessions. Haven't been playing enough ring games. Mainly been playing smaller tournaments with decent results. Been pretty happy with my play though I am still probably not aggressive enough.
Haven't been back to any casinos lately. Been fairly busy I guess. Hope to make it a few times in October though.
Part of the slide (fall) involved trying my hand at ring games I should not have been in. At the behest of a friend who is fairly successful in online ring games I tried the $50NL games on FTP once. Once and only once. LOL Had two tables open. Told myself if he can do it I can do it. Actually I reasoned that I play live 1/2 and 1/3 NL so why not .25/.50 online. I was risking the same amount of money at two tables that I normally risk at a single live table. Didn't do too bad for a while. Just had a few too many second best hands. Including a set over set which felted me on the one table.
I have also been playing probably too many $5 and up MTTs. Including HORSE and PLO and Stud8. Usually run fairly well and then late in the tourney I will have one hand I will horribly misplay (and sometimes just get unlucky) and then the tournament is usually over for me. I will be so short stacked it doesn't matter because the blinds are so high.
I did just have a decent night last night. Managed a 5th in a NL MTT on UB and a 4th in a HORSE MTT on UB. Both were small fields but was happy making two final tables. Didn't fare so well on FTP or PS.
Live I have been running warm. Not hot, not cold.... just warm. Have had 3 recent sessions in ring games where I have broke even. Unusual to break even in any cash game but did it in 3 different close sessions. Haven't been playing enough ring games. Mainly been playing smaller tournaments with decent results. Been pretty happy with my play though I am still probably not aggressive enough.
Haven't been back to any casinos lately. Been fairly busy I guess. Hope to make it a few times in October though.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Dipping Toes Into Bigger Pond..........
Been venturing to the casinos a bit more these days. Past three weekends I have been to Hollywood Casino in Lawrenceburg IN. Also visited the Horseshoe Hammond IN and Majestic Star in Gary IN this past weekend before heading south through Indiana to the Hollywood.
First trip to the old Argosy outside of Cincy was a long night. Played for nearly 8 hours and was stuck most of the time. (I tend to be a shorter stack player and do not normally buy in for max buy ins. I play 1/2 or 1/3, whichever is the standard for the location.) At the end of the 8 hour session (5AM) I managed to get a lucky river card and win a decent pot. The pot which pushed me positive for the day and got me up from the table for the two hour drive home. My friend who had traveled with me ( the trip was his idea and request ) was a sleep in the car as he ran fairly poor early (course played a tad looser also).
This trip showed me that even during extended sessions I was maintaining my patience and playing well, not great.... but well.
Second trip was the following weekend back to Argosy (Hollywood).... this time for the Sunday $15k guaranteed tournament. Another friend wanted to play in this tournament as he leans more towards tournament play versus ring games. My original intent was to go and rail him and play some ring games myself. After some cajoling from my friend and an offer to buy 50% of my action in the tournament I decided to enter the tournament. Unfortunate for my friend he was out fairly early. Set over set .... and in these tournaments, most players are going broke in that situation. I managed to play very patient, get a couple of well timed hands and one huge suckout on the river (ss at the time with less than 25 players remaining). I made it to the final table (76 players started) as the short stack. One other player only had a slightly larger stack. Probably had an M of about 20 or 21 at the start of the final table. I played patient while I watched the other stacks do battle. Top 8 were to be paid. After the first knock out from the table a deal was worked out for $400 for the bubble (9th). Being the shortstack most of the day I was elated with this deal. This was one of the larger buy ins I have played with only two other tournaments being equal or greater value, both being WSOPC events 4 years ago. This was also my first tournament at this casino. So anyways, after at least securing a break even day, I proceeded to work my way up the payout chain mainly by allowing the others to fight it out. Found few key hands to pick up chips and I even managed to knock out one of the players myself. I worked my way into a 4th place finish. In retrospect, I should have entertained talk of a chop. At the point I went out the blinds were 4k/8k with a 1k ante (I think... memory is not perfect on this) and the biggest stack was 230k and three of us at 122k, 148k (me) and 159k. Would have been a much nicer pay day for me but was still happy with the 4th place finish. Made a decent profit for myself and my friend.
Third trip was a mini pokercation (poker+vacation). Took off a few days of work to travel with my friend who planned on playing in the HPT $1k event at the Majestic Star in IN. Got there on a Friday afternoon and played a little 1/2. Made a very small profit before they broke down the tables for the start of the HPT event. Went to the Horseshoe to play before the tournament started. Again made a small profit. Went back to the Majestic Star and decided to take a seat in the 3/6 LHE game. Had a very nice run at 3/6 and called it a night. First day of the trip was a successful one..... for both of us as he had advanced onto day 2 of the HPT event. Saturday was a day off for my friend as they were running two more day 1 flights for the HPT. So we played some 1/2 at different tables so that we could get our poker room rate. For me the day was a long long dead day. Played 5 hours and lost about 80. I still was patient and didn't get trapped. Just couldn't put together a good hand with a good pot. Went back to the room as my friend had already returned to the room to sleep. We had been woke up early by the cleaning crew as they thought our room was empty.... we didn't check in till 5 AM. LOL Pretty tired. Original plan was to go back to the Shoe to play in the evening....... well that never happened. Got some much needed rest instead. Third day was the 2nd day of the HPT. After hanging around for a little during the first level of the day for the tournament I decided to get on the lists for the ring games. First game I was called for was the 2/5 game. Now this is where I decided to try and step up my game. I sat down with 320 (max buy in was 500). This was probably for me the most I had put on a table at one time. I have lost more than that but through multiple reloads. The game had pretty good action and I stayed pretty even... up a little... down a little... back up... you get the idea. My friend came up to tell me he got knocked out.... was a little bummed. He got 61st... only paid top 46. Close but no cigar. He was willing to stick around for a little while as I was being patient and my table was good. For awhile I didn't feel like I was out of my comfort zone. I decided to add another 100 to what I had on the table. The action was pretty good and stacks were on average about 600... couple over 1k. Unfortunately the texture of the game changed with two new players coming to the table. Very aggressive and loose players. I should have recognized that this moved me out of my comfort zone and I should have quit. Unfortunately I did not and my play deteriorated. I played poorly. Added another $200 to my stack as it had been chopped away. Ended up calling it a day down $435. So much for a good weekend. LOL We still had a good time.
My friend wanted to play in the first event of the ISPC at Hollywood on Monday so we left and headed south through IN. We get down there in a fairly quick 4.5 hours and go to the poker room for him to register for tomorrow. Unfortunately you could not register till the next morning at 9. So we decided to play some NLHE...... to say the least it wasn't 2/5. LOL It will be a while before I venture back to that level. And the frustrations unfortunately continued for me. Was getting 2 and 3 outtered most of the night. I made good lay downs but still got little respect from the table. The table would chase just about anything. That is what we want but having a losing night makes it hard to take. Ended up losing my buyin of 200. No biggie.... we were tired so we went and got a room. Wanted to get some rest for the next day. My friend got up early to go and register then came back to the room for additional sleep. We got to the casino just as the tournament started. I could still have entered as it was a deepstack tournament but with the way I ran (and played) the day before I passed on the opportunity. Decided to play some more 1/2. Continued with my patience... this time it payed off... but only marginally. Still happy to have a profitable session after the previous day's results. My friend unfortunately got knocked out in the first level of the tournament...... set to a chaser for a gutshot, turned flush draw. Course they hit.... live poker..... so rigged.
First trip to the old Argosy outside of Cincy was a long night. Played for nearly 8 hours and was stuck most of the time. (I tend to be a shorter stack player and do not normally buy in for max buy ins. I play 1/2 or 1/3, whichever is the standard for the location.) At the end of the 8 hour session (5AM) I managed to get a lucky river card and win a decent pot. The pot which pushed me positive for the day and got me up from the table for the two hour drive home. My friend who had traveled with me ( the trip was his idea and request ) was a sleep in the car as he ran fairly poor early (course played a tad looser also).
This trip showed me that even during extended sessions I was maintaining my patience and playing well, not great.... but well.
Second trip was the following weekend back to Argosy (Hollywood).... this time for the Sunday $15k guaranteed tournament. Another friend wanted to play in this tournament as he leans more towards tournament play versus ring games. My original intent was to go and rail him and play some ring games myself. After some cajoling from my friend and an offer to buy 50% of my action in the tournament I decided to enter the tournament. Unfortunate for my friend he was out fairly early. Set over set .... and in these tournaments, most players are going broke in that situation. I managed to play very patient, get a couple of well timed hands and one huge suckout on the river (ss at the time with less than 25 players remaining). I made it to the final table (76 players started) as the short stack. One other player only had a slightly larger stack. Probably had an M of about 20 or 21 at the start of the final table. I played patient while I watched the other stacks do battle. Top 8 were to be paid. After the first knock out from the table a deal was worked out for $400 for the bubble (9th). Being the shortstack most of the day I was elated with this deal. This was one of the larger buy ins I have played with only two other tournaments being equal or greater value, both being WSOPC events 4 years ago. This was also my first tournament at this casino. So anyways, after at least securing a break even day, I proceeded to work my way up the payout chain mainly by allowing the others to fight it out. Found few key hands to pick up chips and I even managed to knock out one of the players myself. I worked my way into a 4th place finish. In retrospect, I should have entertained talk of a chop. At the point I went out the blinds were 4k/8k with a 1k ante (I think... memory is not perfect on this) and the biggest stack was 230k and three of us at 122k, 148k (me) and 159k. Would have been a much nicer pay day for me but was still happy with the 4th place finish. Made a decent profit for myself and my friend.
Third trip was a mini pokercation (poker+vacation). Took off a few days of work to travel with my friend who planned on playing in the HPT $1k event at the Majestic Star in IN. Got there on a Friday afternoon and played a little 1/2. Made a very small profit before they broke down the tables for the start of the HPT event. Went to the Horseshoe to play before the tournament started. Again made a small profit. Went back to the Majestic Star and decided to take a seat in the 3/6 LHE game. Had a very nice run at 3/6 and called it a night. First day of the trip was a successful one..... for both of us as he had advanced onto day 2 of the HPT event. Saturday was a day off for my friend as they were running two more day 1 flights for the HPT. So we played some 1/2 at different tables so that we could get our poker room rate. For me the day was a long long dead day. Played 5 hours and lost about 80. I still was patient and didn't get trapped. Just couldn't put together a good hand with a good pot. Went back to the room as my friend had already returned to the room to sleep. We had been woke up early by the cleaning crew as they thought our room was empty.... we didn't check in till 5 AM. LOL Pretty tired. Original plan was to go back to the Shoe to play in the evening....... well that never happened. Got some much needed rest instead. Third day was the 2nd day of the HPT. After hanging around for a little during the first level of the day for the tournament I decided to get on the lists for the ring games. First game I was called for was the 2/5 game. Now this is where I decided to try and step up my game. I sat down with 320 (max buy in was 500). This was probably for me the most I had put on a table at one time. I have lost more than that but through multiple reloads. The game had pretty good action and I stayed pretty even... up a little... down a little... back up... you get the idea. My friend came up to tell me he got knocked out.... was a little bummed. He got 61st... only paid top 46. Close but no cigar. He was willing to stick around for a little while as I was being patient and my table was good. For awhile I didn't feel like I was out of my comfort zone. I decided to add another 100 to what I had on the table. The action was pretty good and stacks were on average about 600... couple over 1k. Unfortunately the texture of the game changed with two new players coming to the table. Very aggressive and loose players. I should have recognized that this moved me out of my comfort zone and I should have quit. Unfortunately I did not and my play deteriorated. I played poorly. Added another $200 to my stack as it had been chopped away. Ended up calling it a day down $435. So much for a good weekend. LOL We still had a good time.
My friend wanted to play in the first event of the ISPC at Hollywood on Monday so we left and headed south through IN. We get down there in a fairly quick 4.5 hours and go to the poker room for him to register for tomorrow. Unfortunately you could not register till the next morning at 9. So we decided to play some NLHE...... to say the least it wasn't 2/5. LOL It will be a while before I venture back to that level. And the frustrations unfortunately continued for me. Was getting 2 and 3 outtered most of the night. I made good lay downs but still got little respect from the table. The table would chase just about anything. That is what we want but having a losing night makes it hard to take. Ended up losing my buyin of 200. No biggie.... we were tired so we went and got a room. Wanted to get some rest for the next day. My friend got up early to go and register then came back to the room for additional sleep. We got to the casino just as the tournament started. I could still have entered as it was a deepstack tournament but with the way I ran (and played) the day before I passed on the opportunity. Decided to play some more 1/2. Continued with my patience... this time it payed off... but only marginally. Still happy to have a profitable session after the previous day's results. My friend unfortunately got knocked out in the first level of the tournament...... set to a chaser for a gutshot, turned flush draw. Course they hit.... live poker..... so rigged.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Year is half over.....
Well my live downswing continued but I realized that I was running bad and playing bad also. Horrible combination. Wasn't playing with my normal patience. Fortunately... or unfortunately I decided to take a small break from live play after I was down to the last 10% of profit I still had. LOL
I continued to play online but up until this week I had a horrid 3 week slide. My play online wasn't that bad but was running incredibly bad. I was making the right calls at the right times on overly aggressive players and they were hitting their 3 outters. Such is poker..... and for once I wasn't going horse screaming at the computer screen. LOL I know, I know... hard to imagine me screaming expletives at a computer right? LOL
Well last week was my turn around for live play. But I switched from playing ring games to tournies. I feel I am playing well even when I don't cash so Iam happy with the turn around in my game. I have cashed in 2 out of 5 tournies in the past two weeks and hope to continue to build on that. Also trying my hand at non-holdem tournies which is a nice change of pace.
And this week, I managed to get the monkey off my back online with two back to back positive sessions. I almost forgot what that felt like in the past three weeks. Making deeper runs in micro buyin MTTs. When I finally get the money it can be a bit of a let down because a $1 MTT with 250 players in it just doesn't pay alot unless you get first..... but I settled for 5th and was happy making another ft.
I continued to play online but up until this week I had a horrid 3 week slide. My play online wasn't that bad but was running incredibly bad. I was making the right calls at the right times on overly aggressive players and they were hitting their 3 outters. Such is poker..... and for once I wasn't going horse screaming at the computer screen. LOL I know, I know... hard to imagine me screaming expletives at a computer right? LOL
Well last week was my turn around for live play. But I switched from playing ring games to tournies. I feel I am playing well even when I don't cash so Iam happy with the turn around in my game. I have cashed in 2 out of 5 tournies in the past two weeks and hope to continue to build on that. Also trying my hand at non-holdem tournies which is a nice change of pace.
And this week, I managed to get the monkey off my back online with two back to back positive sessions. I almost forgot what that felt like in the past three weeks. Making deeper runs in micro buyin MTTs. When I finally get the money it can be a bit of a let down because a $1 MTT with 250 players in it just doesn't pay alot unless you get first..... but I settled for 5th and was happy making another ft.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Squeeze One In..........
......... post that is verses a winning session! LOL
Things continued to go fairly well (online at least) after my last post. Nothing quite as spectacular as the Sunday I had but I have continued to grow my online br slowly and steadily. Few steps forward, one back... few steps forward. You know the routine in poker when you go for the steady slow climb.
Even though I have a decent amount online ( at least for a micro stakes player like me ) I have continued to stick to the $5 and under MTTs and SNGs. I dable in the few larger buy ins.... $8 & $10 SNGs.... but haven't moved up any yet.
I did play a $3 rebuy on UB. Bubbled. Got my money in good with AA when I limp raised the bb raiser. He of course shoved pf and proudly displayed his JJ.... especially when the J hit the flop. We were both in the top 15 of remaining players at the time. He only had me covered by about 10% of his stack. But was rewarded handsomely for his great timing play.
Have made a few other fts in the smaller buyins I play but most of the finishes have just been into the table and not top 3. I did manage to pull off a 2nd place finish but should have been first as I had my opponent dominated in chips when we got heads up, 160k to 30k. He got two quickly lucky double ups within the first 7 hands headsup and I was toast after that.
Live play has decreased in frequency and when I am playing I am playing horribly I guess. I have lost 70% of the profit I had up to this point in live play for the year. That was all within the last 5 different days of live play I have done. Wow..... messes with your head when you run bad (play bad). I am kinda numb to it surprisingly. Just hope this turns around soon.
Well I wanted to get in a post before June ended....... nothing like procrastinating till the last day!
Things continued to go fairly well (online at least) after my last post. Nothing quite as spectacular as the Sunday I had but I have continued to grow my online br slowly and steadily. Few steps forward, one back... few steps forward. You know the routine in poker when you go for the steady slow climb.
Even though I have a decent amount online ( at least for a micro stakes player like me ) I have continued to stick to the $5 and under MTTs and SNGs. I dable in the few larger buy ins.... $8 & $10 SNGs.... but haven't moved up any yet.
I did play a $3 rebuy on UB. Bubbled. Got my money in good with AA when I limp raised the bb raiser. He of course shoved pf and proudly displayed his JJ.... especially when the J hit the flop. We were both in the top 15 of remaining players at the time. He only had me covered by about 10% of his stack. But was rewarded handsomely for his great timing play.
Have made a few other fts in the smaller buyins I play but most of the finishes have just been into the table and not top 3. I did manage to pull off a 2nd place finish but should have been first as I had my opponent dominated in chips when we got heads up, 160k to 30k. He got two quickly lucky double ups within the first 7 hands headsup and I was toast after that.
Live play has decreased in frequency and when I am playing I am playing horribly I guess. I have lost 70% of the profit I had up to this point in live play for the year. That was all within the last 5 different days of live play I have done. Wow..... messes with your head when you run bad (play bad). I am kinda numb to it surprisingly. Just hope this turns around soon.
Well I wanted to get in a post before June ended....... nothing like procrastinating till the last day!
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Amazing Sunday
Well I never thought I would get to write a blog entry such as this.
I had an incredible run this past Sunday morning, one that probably will not be duplicated again.
Now I did not win thousands or just play blindly but I ran incredibly well.
I now know how it feels to run that way and it is a very very satisfying.
I played live on Saturday. Had a decent day but I was very card cold. I had a young friend watching my play and cards after he got knocked out of the tournament and he was laughing at my hands. They were that bad. I would get a red 4 as the first cards more time than I can count. This was a very strange day. I think I documented once before when I was playing 10/20 limit holdem that I received a 4 as my first card dealt 16 hands in a row!! After the first 6 or 7 first 4s I started just turning my first card face up. After the 16th time I sat out until that dealer was off of his shift. LOL Never happened again after that day.
So Saturday I ended up 15th out of 62 players which wasn't terrible except that my last hand I actually flopped and oesfd against two overs. I had 20 outs! We were 8 handed at the time. I was in the small blind with blinds being 1400/700 + 200 ante. I only had 2100 behind and the bigstack at the table counted me down and bet that amount. I chose to call and was fairly pleasantly surprised to find he only held KQo without a diamond against my Jd9d. The flop was 10d,8d,4h. Now any diamond (9 outs), any 8 (3 outs), any Q (2 outs), any J (3 outs) and any 9 (3 outs). Unfortunately he hits a red K on turn though not the diamond obviously, reducing my outs by 6. And the river was a 2h. You know how you see the red of the card... and for a moment... just a moment... you think you have hit. LOL Such cruelness the poker gods can exhibit. No matter I had enjoyed myself as many of the players in this tournament I had not seen for awhile.
After the tournament we drove back to our home city and went to a small home game I enjoy on Saturday evenings ( and many times early Sunday mornings ). This game is only 1/2 NL but sometimes the players are out of control. Unfortunately for my friend (and somewhat myself) this was one of those times. My friend did not fair well for his first visit but I think he will be back in the future. The place can be rowdy bettingwise or one where you simply get called down on everything. But it is a fun social evening with poker the main course. I faired better than my friend but only walked away with a $10 win. LOL A win is a win, right?!?! LOL
So I get up Sunday morning, somewhat expecting more of the previous days slight of cards. I am fairly used to it but one can always hope for a better day. And Sunday proved to be much better. I entered several tournaments on several sites (PS, UB FT and Walker). Yeah yeah... I know... spreading myself around, would be better to concentrate on one site at a time.... but this way I don't wipe out any one account quckly. Don't try to figure it out... it is my own screwy logic. LOL
I ended up playing in twelve tournaments but none of them over a $5.00 buy in. Two were freerolls of which I didn't make if far in either. Another was the lone tournament on Walker I entered..... for .25. LOL another failed attempt. Of the remaining 9 tournaments I cashed in 6 of them. I can not recall if two of the 6 cashes were in SNGs but I believe they were. The other 7 tournaments were all MTTs or 180man SNGs. My friend even talked me into playing in a TurboHeadsUpShootout MTT on FT. I am not a good headsup player nor short handed player. My game is improving but I am truely weak in these areas. The field was 98 players and I went out in 11th place.... good enough for a cash. Was happy to have cashed at least in it as I really didn't think I would do well at all.
The other 3 cashes were in a $5.00 MTT (202 players), a $3.00 MTT (210 players) and a $2.00 SNG (180man). I finished 3, 2, and 1st respectively. It was one of the more incredible runs of my life in poker. No it was the most incredible. I stopped playing. After I finished the final tournament which was the first place finish I just felt I shouldn't push my luck any more. LOL Actually I was more in shock than anything that I had run that hot. I guess I was just satisfied with my day and chose to do other things and get out of the house. Course it helped that it was a very nice day out. I would elaborate more on the games but I don't remember them all that well. Of course many many spots I got lucky but I also played pretty well. But more than anything I was just lucky either to have the best hand to start or to hit.
Now if I could only duplicate a run like that in larger than $5.00 buy ins! LOL
I had an incredible run this past Sunday morning, one that probably will not be duplicated again.
Now I did not win thousands or just play blindly but I ran incredibly well.
I now know how it feels to run that way and it is a very very satisfying.
I played live on Saturday. Had a decent day but I was very card cold. I had a young friend watching my play and cards after he got knocked out of the tournament and he was laughing at my hands. They were that bad. I would get a red 4 as the first cards more time than I can count. This was a very strange day. I think I documented once before when I was playing 10/20 limit holdem that I received a 4 as my first card dealt 16 hands in a row!! After the first 6 or 7 first 4s I started just turning my first card face up. After the 16th time I sat out until that dealer was off of his shift. LOL Never happened again after that day.
So Saturday I ended up 15th out of 62 players which wasn't terrible except that my last hand I actually flopped and oesfd against two overs. I had 20 outs! We were 8 handed at the time. I was in the small blind with blinds being 1400/700 + 200 ante. I only had 2100 behind and the bigstack at the table counted me down and bet that amount. I chose to call and was fairly pleasantly surprised to find he only held KQo without a diamond against my Jd9d. The flop was 10d,8d,4h. Now any diamond (9 outs), any 8 (3 outs), any Q (2 outs), any J (3 outs) and any 9 (3 outs). Unfortunately he hits a red K on turn though not the diamond obviously, reducing my outs by 6. And the river was a 2h. You know how you see the red of the card... and for a moment... just a moment... you think you have hit. LOL Such cruelness the poker gods can exhibit. No matter I had enjoyed myself as many of the players in this tournament I had not seen for awhile.
After the tournament we drove back to our home city and went to a small home game I enjoy on Saturday evenings ( and many times early Sunday mornings ). This game is only 1/2 NL but sometimes the players are out of control. Unfortunately for my friend (and somewhat myself) this was one of those times. My friend did not fair well for his first visit but I think he will be back in the future. The place can be rowdy bettingwise or one where you simply get called down on everything. But it is a fun social evening with poker the main course. I faired better than my friend but only walked away with a $10 win. LOL A win is a win, right?!?! LOL
So I get up Sunday morning, somewhat expecting more of the previous days slight of cards. I am fairly used to it but one can always hope for a better day. And Sunday proved to be much better. I entered several tournaments on several sites (PS, UB FT and Walker). Yeah yeah... I know... spreading myself around, would be better to concentrate on one site at a time.... but this way I don't wipe out any one account quckly. Don't try to figure it out... it is my own screwy logic. LOL
I ended up playing in twelve tournaments but none of them over a $5.00 buy in. Two were freerolls of which I didn't make if far in either. Another was the lone tournament on Walker I entered..... for .25. LOL another failed attempt. Of the remaining 9 tournaments I cashed in 6 of them. I can not recall if two of the 6 cashes were in SNGs but I believe they were. The other 7 tournaments were all MTTs or 180man SNGs. My friend even talked me into playing in a TurboHeadsUpShootout MTT on FT. I am not a good headsup player nor short handed player. My game is improving but I am truely weak in these areas. The field was 98 players and I went out in 11th place.... good enough for a cash. Was happy to have cashed at least in it as I really didn't think I would do well at all.
The other 3 cashes were in a $5.00 MTT (202 players), a $3.00 MTT (210 players) and a $2.00 SNG (180man). I finished 3, 2, and 1st respectively. It was one of the more incredible runs of my life in poker. No it was the most incredible. I stopped playing. After I finished the final tournament which was the first place finish I just felt I shouldn't push my luck any more. LOL Actually I was more in shock than anything that I had run that hot. I guess I was just satisfied with my day and chose to do other things and get out of the house. Course it helped that it was a very nice day out. I would elaborate more on the games but I don't remember them all that well. Of course many many spots I got lucky but I also played pretty well. But more than anything I was just lucky either to have the best hand to start or to hit.
Now if I could only duplicate a run like that in larger than $5.00 buy ins! LOL
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Happy Cinco de Mayo
Well it has been awhile since I posted.
Poker is just kinda trudging along.
Haven't been doing very well but not losing.... just not gaining any ground.
I have found myself sitting in games I do not really want to be in just to help keep the game going or even start it. There is a new club on the west side of town. But I fear it will not make it.
Everyone thinks they are too good to start games. They will only go once a game is already started. Hell if half the people that called to see if a game was going showed up we would have two tables and a waiting list.
Have decided to mix it up a little and just play in some games I haven't been to in a long time.
Going to the little $20 tournament tonight with the horrible blind structure. They will get over 140 players and it still will be over with in 4 hours. And that is with a 10,000 starting stack!
I think I will also not stay in any game I am not comfortable with. I can't help it if a game doesn't start or breaks because I don't want to play. I am down almost 3 buyins in 3 weeks and that includes a double buyin win in the middle of those 3 weeks along with a few other small wins.
Since it has been so long since I posted I have played in my monthly tournament twice since I bubbled the final table in 10th. I followed it up with a 7th place but then was the 3rd person out in the last tourney. I gambled and took one off for the nut flush draw on a paired board. I should have known I got lucky for a reason, one of the other players flopped quads. LOL
Poker is just kinda trudging along.
Haven't been doing very well but not losing.... just not gaining any ground.
I have found myself sitting in games I do not really want to be in just to help keep the game going or even start it. There is a new club on the west side of town. But I fear it will not make it.
Everyone thinks they are too good to start games. They will only go once a game is already started. Hell if half the people that called to see if a game was going showed up we would have two tables and a waiting list.
Have decided to mix it up a little and just play in some games I haven't been to in a long time.
Going to the little $20 tournament tonight with the horrible blind structure. They will get over 140 players and it still will be over with in 4 hours. And that is with a 10,000 starting stack!
I think I will also not stay in any game I am not comfortable with. I can't help it if a game doesn't start or breaks because I don't want to play. I am down almost 3 buyins in 3 weeks and that includes a double buyin win in the middle of those 3 weeks along with a few other small wins.
Since it has been so long since I posted I have played in my monthly tournament twice since I bubbled the final table in 10th. I followed it up with a 7th place but then was the 3rd person out in the last tourney. I gambled and took one off for the nut flush draw on a paired board. I should have known I got lucky for a reason, one of the other players flopped quads. LOL
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
February rolling along.....
Well unfortunately haven't been playing much in the way of ring games since my bad weekend. I think I have played twice and managed small wins. They were wins, but trust me very small. Only won back maybe 10% of what I lost that one weekend. Haven't really had the opportunity or maybe I should say drive to play ring games since then. Once I get home I relax and don't feel like going back out.
I have played in some tournaments. One of them I just had a good time playing, played crazy bad... but still had fun. :) Nice to just cut loose a little bit like that. Didn't play wacko just looser than normal chasing flushes and inside str8s! Was also helping to run the tournament so wasn't bothered by much.
Played in one of the best live tournaments I have ever had the chance to play in. The structure of the tournament was great. The players were probably the toughest field as a whole I have ever played against. Very few players at this tournament could have been considered dead money. Made it to 15th out of 60. Met a lot of really good guys and gals and good players. Check out http://www.badbeatspoker.net/ for future tournies. Have to be a member of the forum though.
Also did pretty well in my monthly $100 buy in tournament. But I bubbled final table in 10th place. Was still pretty happy with my play. Maybe misplayed two hands the whole night.
Online has been a back and forth thing. Still hovering in the same place for the most part but finding success in many MTTs. What is keeping me in somewhat neutral is I started playing $10 and $20 SNGs and that eats up alot of the profits I am pulling out of the MTTs.
I think I need to start trying to play cash games online but I fear I could take a major swing down like I did last time when I had a pretty good sum on UB and tried playing limit ring games. Wiped most of the $800 out in like 3 weeks. Just couldn't get any traction. I think I will try to stick to MTTs and stop playing the $10 and $20 SNGs. That should help the online roll a bit.
(edit note: You would think I could spell my own birth month correctly)
I have played in some tournaments. One of them I just had a good time playing, played crazy bad... but still had fun. :) Nice to just cut loose a little bit like that. Didn't play wacko just looser than normal chasing flushes and inside str8s! Was also helping to run the tournament so wasn't bothered by much.
Played in one of the best live tournaments I have ever had the chance to play in. The structure of the tournament was great. The players were probably the toughest field as a whole I have ever played against. Very few players at this tournament could have been considered dead money. Made it to 15th out of 60. Met a lot of really good guys and gals and good players. Check out http://www.badbeatspoker.net/ for future tournies. Have to be a member of the forum though.
Also did pretty well in my monthly $100 buy in tournament. But I bubbled final table in 10th place. Was still pretty happy with my play. Maybe misplayed two hands the whole night.
Online has been a back and forth thing. Still hovering in the same place for the most part but finding success in many MTTs. What is keeping me in somewhat neutral is I started playing $10 and $20 SNGs and that eats up alot of the profits I am pulling out of the MTTs.
I think I need to start trying to play cash games online but I fear I could take a major swing down like I did last time when I had a pretty good sum on UB and tried playing limit ring games. Wiped most of the $800 out in like 3 weeks. Just couldn't get any traction. I think I will try to stick to MTTs and stop playing the $10 and $20 SNGs. That should help the online roll a bit.
(edit note: You would think I could spell my own birth month correctly)
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
New Year.......
Well the new year in poker has started out well for me.... or at least continued rolling in the same direction as I ended last year.
Online I am finding that I continue to be fairly successful. I think I have made 11 final tables since Nov when the tournaments had more than 100 players in them. Some tourneys as many as 2202. Got 2nd in that one. Mainly NL MTTs but a few HORSE and RAZZ tournaments. Just got a 4th place last night in HORSE on UB. Just hoping to continue progressing my bankroll online. Currently is over $500. Has been a long time since I have over $500 online. Struggled all through 2008 with under $200 on all 3 sites I play. Not counting Walker Poker as I have maybe $23 on there... just mess around once in awhile there.
Live ring games have continued to be good .... well up until this week that is. LOL Have lost about 70% of my live bankroll in just 3 sessions. Course that is because I have no true bankroll to speak of. Took a pretty hard beat for all of my money on Monday night (Tuesday morning 6AM!). Got upset but didn't say anything to the player that called $260 ai on the flop into a $108.00 pot (!) but then another player at the table justified the caller's 30% hand call with the statement "He's stuck that's why he called". I kinda snapped off at that statement that that is the way to get unstuck.... call 50% of your stack on a 30% hand when you are getting 1.4 on your money. The more I think about it the more I need to leave it alone. I know I want the player making that call (for a Q high flush draw) 70% of the time ( I even had the K high flush redraw after he hit on the turn). Hell his hand might not even have been a 30% hand due to my redraw. I didn't give the player any crap about it... but the other lucksack chiming in pissed me off. Fortunately the club was closing and I just left.
One positive note in my play is I am not devastated like I used to be when I lose a buy in or two in an evening. This used to majorly depress me and make me pretty hostile for a week or two. Getting better at taking the beats. I just need to work on making more money when I am winning so that when I lose it won't take two or even three sessions to get that money back. That is one of the big holes in my game. I risk $200-$300 to win $100-$200 and am happy. Problem is when I lose I tend to lose the full buy in. I am getting there... just have to keep working on it.
Live tournaments have not been good to me so far this year. Some of it has been horrible play on my part and much of it just card dead. No cashes yet or bubbles.... close but no bubbles. Just need a good cash in Feb to get the tournaments rolling.
Online I am finding that I continue to be fairly successful. I think I have made 11 final tables since Nov when the tournaments had more than 100 players in them. Some tourneys as many as 2202. Got 2nd in that one. Mainly NL MTTs but a few HORSE and RAZZ tournaments. Just got a 4th place last night in HORSE on UB. Just hoping to continue progressing my bankroll online. Currently is over $500. Has been a long time since I have over $500 online. Struggled all through 2008 with under $200 on all 3 sites I play. Not counting Walker Poker as I have maybe $23 on there... just mess around once in awhile there.
Live ring games have continued to be good .... well up until this week that is. LOL Have lost about 70% of my live bankroll in just 3 sessions. Course that is because I have no true bankroll to speak of. Took a pretty hard beat for all of my money on Monday night (Tuesday morning 6AM!). Got upset but didn't say anything to the player that called $260 ai on the flop into a $108.00 pot (!) but then another player at the table justified the caller's 30% hand call with the statement "He's stuck that's why he called". I kinda snapped off at that statement that that is the way to get unstuck.... call 50% of your stack on a 30% hand when you are getting 1.4 on your money. The more I think about it the more I need to leave it alone. I know I want the player making that call (for a Q high flush draw) 70% of the time ( I even had the K high flush redraw after he hit on the turn). Hell his hand might not even have been a 30% hand due to my redraw. I didn't give the player any crap about it... but the other lucksack chiming in pissed me off. Fortunately the club was closing and I just left.
One positive note in my play is I am not devastated like I used to be when I lose a buy in or two in an evening. This used to majorly depress me and make me pretty hostile for a week or two. Getting better at taking the beats. I just need to work on making more money when I am winning so that when I lose it won't take two or even three sessions to get that money back. That is one of the big holes in my game. I risk $200-$300 to win $100-$200 and am happy. Problem is when I lose I tend to lose the full buy in. I am getting there... just have to keep working on it.
Live tournaments have not been good to me so far this year. Some of it has been horrible play on my part and much of it just card dead. No cashes yet or bubbles.... close but no bubbles. Just need a good cash in Feb to get the tournaments rolling.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Not Tilting........ but still tilt......
Well been a month again since I posted.... but at least I am hitting it once a month minimum.
Still not playing too much but I did manage to stop by Wheeling for two different sessions.
Managed to prove to myself that I did learn my lesson from the previous trip there. Got there on a Tuesday night about 11:30pm and played till noon the next day. Was a card dead night, no suckouts. But I didn't let it tilt me this time. No pushing of hands I didn't need to push. Lost but only a small amount this time instead of the previous lengthy sessions where I pushed too hard the last hour or so of each session and lost much more than I should have.
Went back the Sunday after Thanksgiving and had a better but shorter session. The badbeat jackpot but up to $58k. Wanted to play more but was up a decent amount and decided not to risk it. Had I been up less I would have played more than the 4 hours I did play as I had planned on making it at least a 12 hour session.
Been doing ok playing small sessions of 1/2NL. Did have a bad session just the other night though. Took what I felt was a bad beat.... well not so much a bad beat as a surprising one based on the player and their knowledge of me. AK beat by Q5os on the river. With the Q5os raising on my flop bet...K106... all spades. And no I didn't have a spade in my hand. The other player knows me well and I had a good read on them they they did not have a hand yet. That they were on a draw. Unfortunately I was not deep stacked enough to make a play that I thought could push them off their draw. I bet-called the flop (was a min raise) and check-called the turn (6c). Checked the river (6s) as did the other player. Only to have their hand turned over to see the 5s that they were betting all the way. Started to tilt..... just kept saying "Wow" outloud but not loudly. I stewed for a little while but managed not to tilt aggressively in any hands after that. Didn't spew chips. I was happy with myself for not tilting... or so I thought.
I previously mainly thought of tilt as angry chip spewing or trying to be too aggressive. I found my other form of tilt that night....... being too scared. Playing hands too passively or totally incorrectly because I fear getting snapped. And of coure this caused me to misplay one hand horribly wrong and get felted. I limped with QQ noting a raise was coming to my left. Planned on just smooth calling to make sure no A (or K) came on the flop. It was raised to $18 with 5 callers before me and I was the last to call the raise. I knew if anyone else that was involved in the hand would have had a better hand or even AK they would have raised. The raiser was a very aggressive player who can raise almost any two and then play fairly well after the flop. I felt their hand wasn't that strong based on the reaction to all of the callers. I should have ended the hand right there and shoved aipf which most likely would have worked. Instead I sheepishly smoothed called. Flop was J43... I think the 43 were clubs. Checked to me with only the original raiser behind me and he looked like he was gonna bet. But I didn't want anyone else in the hand besides myself and the original raiser so I decided to shove my last $120. The pot was already just over $100 I believe. Everyone folded but one player.... the one with 44! He easily would have laid down preflop to a $120 reraise...... but I was tilting.........another lesson learned.
Also played in my monthly big tourney. Big for me is $100. Managed to get a respectable 5th finish out of it. Paid top 8. Ran QQ utg into KK in bb. Not much I could do there as I was in 4th in chips anyways. with blinds being 3/6k+500 ante. My stack was 33k. Made some good laydowns to get to that point. Had a couple of players move aipf in front of me. Woke up with AK, 99, 88 and 55. I think the only hand that would have held up was the 99 but didn't want to flip for half of my stack. Rather keep the shortstacks that way until I felt had them dominated. Ak would have lost to AQ or AJ. The flop was rabbitted and both Q and J was on flop. Might have caught the lucky 10 but we will never know.
So now I have had one tournament cash in each of the past 3 months for $300 or more and I have only played maybe a total of 10 tourneys. I am going to start playing tournaments again like I was doing in the first half of 2007 which was pretty frequent. Had a decent amount of success that year in tournaments but then things cooled off and I cut back my tournament play drastically.
Hopefully 2009 proves to be a good year for me cardwise. Trying to approach it much the way I have in 2008 but with a more consistent schedule of play.
Still not playing too much but I did manage to stop by Wheeling for two different sessions.
Managed to prove to myself that I did learn my lesson from the previous trip there. Got there on a Tuesday night about 11:30pm and played till noon the next day. Was a card dead night, no suckouts. But I didn't let it tilt me this time. No pushing of hands I didn't need to push. Lost but only a small amount this time instead of the previous lengthy sessions where I pushed too hard the last hour or so of each session and lost much more than I should have.
Went back the Sunday after Thanksgiving and had a better but shorter session. The badbeat jackpot but up to $58k. Wanted to play more but was up a decent amount and decided not to risk it. Had I been up less I would have played more than the 4 hours I did play as I had planned on making it at least a 12 hour session.
Been doing ok playing small sessions of 1/2NL. Did have a bad session just the other night though. Took what I felt was a bad beat.... well not so much a bad beat as a surprising one based on the player and their knowledge of me. AK beat by Q5os on the river. With the Q5os raising on my flop bet...K106... all spades. And no I didn't have a spade in my hand. The other player knows me well and I had a good read on them they they did not have a hand yet. That they were on a draw. Unfortunately I was not deep stacked enough to make a play that I thought could push them off their draw. I bet-called the flop (was a min raise) and check-called the turn (6c). Checked the river (6s) as did the other player. Only to have their hand turned over to see the 5s that they were betting all the way. Started to tilt..... just kept saying "Wow" outloud but not loudly. I stewed for a little while but managed not to tilt aggressively in any hands after that. Didn't spew chips. I was happy with myself for not tilting... or so I thought.
I previously mainly thought of tilt as angry chip spewing or trying to be too aggressive. I found my other form of tilt that night....... being too scared. Playing hands too passively or totally incorrectly because I fear getting snapped. And of coure this caused me to misplay one hand horribly wrong and get felted. I limped with QQ noting a raise was coming to my left. Planned on just smooth calling to make sure no A (or K) came on the flop. It was raised to $18 with 5 callers before me and I was the last to call the raise. I knew if anyone else that was involved in the hand would have had a better hand or even AK they would have raised. The raiser was a very aggressive player who can raise almost any two and then play fairly well after the flop. I felt their hand wasn't that strong based on the reaction to all of the callers. I should have ended the hand right there and shoved aipf which most likely would have worked. Instead I sheepishly smoothed called. Flop was J43... I think the 43 were clubs. Checked to me with only the original raiser behind me and he looked like he was gonna bet. But I didn't want anyone else in the hand besides myself and the original raiser so I decided to shove my last $120. The pot was already just over $100 I believe. Everyone folded but one player.... the one with 44! He easily would have laid down preflop to a $120 reraise...... but I was tilting.........another lesson learned.
Also played in my monthly big tourney. Big for me is $100. Managed to get a respectable 5th finish out of it. Paid top 8. Ran QQ utg into KK in bb. Not much I could do there as I was in 4th in chips anyways. with blinds being 3/6k+500 ante. My stack was 33k. Made some good laydowns to get to that point. Had a couple of players move aipf in front of me. Woke up with AK, 99, 88 and 55. I think the only hand that would have held up was the 99 but didn't want to flip for half of my stack. Rather keep the shortstacks that way until I felt had them dominated. Ak would have lost to AQ or AJ. The flop was rabbitted and both Q and J was on flop. Might have caught the lucky 10 but we will never know.
So now I have had one tournament cash in each of the past 3 months for $300 or more and I have only played maybe a total of 10 tourneys. I am going to start playing tournaments again like I was doing in the first half of 2007 which was pretty frequent. Had a decent amount of success that year in tournaments but then things cooled off and I cut back my tournament play drastically.
Hopefully 2009 proves to be a good year for me cardwise. Trying to approach it much the way I have in 2008 but with a more consistent schedule of play.
Monday, November 10, 2008
The Weekend that wasn't.....
Well originally was supposed to go to the WV casinos.... but alas.... plans fell through. I was disappointed but probably was for the best considering my previous visit and tilt sessions there. LOL
Ended up just continuing my latest run at the ring live games. I am still doing well. Keeping the sessions to under 2 hours. Hit and run I suppose but not hitting for big money... just consistent money. I am determined to build a bankroll through slow but steady acquisitions. And so far it is working. I did have one session this past weekend where I played a ring game (after playing in a tournament for 2 hours after going card dead and not cashing) for 7.5 hours! LOL I ended up winning only $47 after tips and fee. But had a good time. I actually enjoyed playing till 4:30 in the morning. Had been a very long time since I had done that. Was easy to enjoy I guess as I didn't play many hands and was never stuck too much and never up much either.
I have been having some success online... nothing great... just different. I have been playing non holdem tournaments and doing ok. Bubbled a Stud8 tournament (50/380+ paid top 48), final tabled a Razz tourney and cashed in a PLO8 tourney. They were all small buyins but was a nice change from the NLH jamfest I tend to get in. I also bubbled a final table in one of the Stars $5 buyins. Was happy but took a so so beat with under 15 left to cripple me. (AK vs Q10o he jammed I called). I think there were over 800 players in that tourney so I faired well. Haven't been doing very good in STT SNGs lately but I think I have gotten away from my usual game in them and have been gambling too often.
Also got 2nd in a live tournament (only 20 players). Was actually very disappointed in 2nd but the woman I played headsup with just outplayed me I guess. Or at least played a style I could not counter. She jammed ai 10out of 25 hands. I never once had an Ace or even two face cards when she did it. I couldn't play against her unless I just wanted to gamble. She had 80-85% of my stack and I wasn't willing to gamble. She finally did it (went ai) after the flop on the last hand and I had made middle pair so I called her. But she of course had the top pair and I failed to improve. I ended up winning the next 3 hands all aipf. But I couldn't keep up the string and went down in defeat. I hope to get her headsup again sometime soon....... I will gamble next time.
Ended up just continuing my latest run at the ring live games. I am still doing well. Keeping the sessions to under 2 hours. Hit and run I suppose but not hitting for big money... just consistent money. I am determined to build a bankroll through slow but steady acquisitions. And so far it is working. I did have one session this past weekend where I played a ring game (after playing in a tournament for 2 hours after going card dead and not cashing) for 7.5 hours! LOL I ended up winning only $47 after tips and fee. But had a good time. I actually enjoyed playing till 4:30 in the morning. Had been a very long time since I had done that. Was easy to enjoy I guess as I didn't play many hands and was never stuck too much and never up much either.
I have been having some success online... nothing great... just different. I have been playing non holdem tournaments and doing ok. Bubbled a Stud8 tournament (50/380+ paid top 48), final tabled a Razz tourney and cashed in a PLO8 tourney. They were all small buyins but was a nice change from the NLH jamfest I tend to get in. I also bubbled a final table in one of the Stars $5 buyins. Was happy but took a so so beat with under 15 left to cripple me. (AK vs Q10o he jammed I called). I think there were over 800 players in that tourney so I faired well. Haven't been doing very good in STT SNGs lately but I think I have gotten away from my usual game in them and have been gambling too often.
Also got 2nd in a live tournament (only 20 players). Was actually very disappointed in 2nd but the woman I played headsup with just outplayed me I guess. Or at least played a style I could not counter. She jammed ai 10out of 25 hands. I never once had an Ace or even two face cards when she did it. I couldn't play against her unless I just wanted to gamble. She had 80-85% of my stack and I wasn't willing to gamble. She finally did it (went ai) after the flop on the last hand and I had made middle pair so I called her. But she of course had the top pair and I failed to improve. I ended up winning the next 3 hands all aipf. But I couldn't keep up the string and went down in defeat. I hope to get her headsup again sometime soon....... I will gamble next time.
Monday, October 27, 2008
Hello Again......
Well I am getting just as bad as every other blogger who never posts. I spend more time reading others' posts than worrying about my own.
Haven't really been doing much in the way of live poker. Play a few small buy in tournies with less than 50 players. Still not doing well. Go deep, but no cash. Still chugging along in the ring games when I do play them. Play $1/3 and $1/2 for usually 1-2 hours. Cash out $100-$150 and done. Hit and run. Wish it meant I was building up my bankroll but just can't seem to get there. Always something taking the extra cash.
Actually had a decent week last week online. We going deep and made 4 final tables in tournaments with at least 180 players. None of the big ones but was still very happy to make 4 final tables out of like 13 tournaments that size in 6 days.
But then after those nice cashes they "flipped the switch" on me online. LOL Not that I can't win races, I can't win the 80/20s (QQvsJJ) and the 70/30s (AKvsKQ).... much less the AA vs K10os aipf. Just running bad now. Have lost most of what I won from those 4 fts. I am sure there were some hands I pulled out of my $%^ but really been running bad in critical situations. Guess I need to step back to the $1 & $2 SNGs and give up the $5 SNGs and $4 bounty MTTs on UB.
Haven't really been doing much in the way of live poker. Play a few small buy in tournies with less than 50 players. Still not doing well. Go deep, but no cash. Still chugging along in the ring games when I do play them. Play $1/3 and $1/2 for usually 1-2 hours. Cash out $100-$150 and done. Hit and run. Wish it meant I was building up my bankroll but just can't seem to get there. Always something taking the extra cash.
Actually had a decent week last week online. We going deep and made 4 final tables in tournaments with at least 180 players. None of the big ones but was still very happy to make 4 final tables out of like 13 tournaments that size in 6 days.
But then after those nice cashes they "flipped the switch" on me online. LOL Not that I can't win races, I can't win the 80/20s (QQvsJJ) and the 70/30s (AKvsKQ).... much less the AA vs K10os aipf. Just running bad now. Have lost most of what I won from those 4 fts. I am sure there were some hands I pulled out of my $%^ but really been running bad in critical situations. Guess I need to step back to the $1 & $2 SNGs and give up the $5 SNGs and $4 bounty MTTs on UB.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Been awhile.....
Well not alot very interesting has been going on pokerwise (or otherwise) for me. I have been toiling at the low levels still. One day up, next day down. Pretty much staying even.
Been playing low level ring games but without steady success. Seems I will run into a maniac who just doesn't care and shoves and gets lucky when I have a made hand preflop. I normally fold but there are times you just know you will have to stand up to the jammer or you won't be able to play at the table at all.
Also made and excursion to the WV casinos finally. Moderate success but overshadowed by two sessions that ended in tilting off my remaining stacks. I have learned that 4 hours of being card dead is about where my judgement starts to fail me. I played for 6.5 and 9 hours @ 1/2 NL. I didn't take any badbeats ( and obviously didn't hand any out either) but I just couldn't get much going. And the tables were both so very very soft. Even my friend, whom the trip was actually for, said they were probably the softest he had ever seen in a casino. Within the last 45 minutes to an hour of each session I basically tilted off chips by try to make something happen. Whether that meant calling big bets when I knew I was behind trying to get way lucky or just playing too many hands in any position. And it didn't work. I lost 30 to 35% of my buyins in those waning minutes of each session. I would still have booked losers but they would have been much smaller overall. I was mad when I left but then realized I had no one to blame but myself.
Been playing low level ring games but without steady success. Seems I will run into a maniac who just doesn't care and shoves and gets lucky when I have a made hand preflop. I normally fold but there are times you just know you will have to stand up to the jammer or you won't be able to play at the table at all.
Also made and excursion to the WV casinos finally. Moderate success but overshadowed by two sessions that ended in tilting off my remaining stacks. I have learned that 4 hours of being card dead is about where my judgement starts to fail me. I played for 6.5 and 9 hours @ 1/2 NL. I didn't take any badbeats ( and obviously didn't hand any out either) but I just couldn't get much going. And the tables were both so very very soft. Even my friend, whom the trip was actually for, said they were probably the softest he had ever seen in a casino. Within the last 45 minutes to an hour of each session I basically tilted off chips by try to make something happen. Whether that meant calling big bets when I knew I was behind trying to get way lucky or just playing too many hands in any position. And it didn't work. I lost 30 to 35% of my buyins in those waning minutes of each session. I would still have booked losers but they would have been much smaller overall. I was mad when I left but then realized I had no one to blame but myself.
Monday, August 4, 2008
Fishing with the wrong bait.....
...... well at least that is how I felt last night.
All around me the hooks were in the water and most of the fishermen were pulling in some very nice hauls. I only managed a few small minnows.
After spending the weekend in Cleveland I decided to partake in a little poker at a couple of the church festivals. Well the beer was flowing and plenty of chips were being splashed with the beer.
Way too many ESPN watchers play at the church festivals. Several times one player would make the call and then say "and I raise". Each time the dealer would try to explain that you couldn't do that. It was a string raise. And each time this would be followed by a declaration of "Beer guy!" The player was frustrated and stated how they have played for years that way. God I want invited to that home game.
The next player picked up alot of chirping chips from the "Beer guy, I raise" (BGIR)player. On several flops he would state "Oh yeah, that's what I was looking for. You can believe me or not, but that is what I wanted to see". He got the chips when BGIR player shoved ai on a gutshot draw on the flop and failed to hit. About a $145 all in into a $32 pot! Then the chirpy player proceeded to give back those and a few more chips to BGIR on an Ace high bluff when BGIR flopped a set.
Each of these two player proceeded to pass their stacks or good portions of them off to two other players. Both times on bluffs. Alas, I was unable to pick up either of their stacks. Wasn't really hitting alot. Was up a little so I decided to head out to the next festival.
At this festival I sit down into what I was told was a $5/10 LHE game. Turned out to be a $1/2 NL. Gotta luv a competent floor.
Anyways, I sit down and notice one or two players I have seen before. A few young players that actually look fairly seasoned by the way they handled themselves and their chips and of course the church festival beer drinkers there for fun.
One of the fun drinkers was to my left. He picked up a pot when he hit the river and another player made a comment and the fun drinker stated they should give him some slack based on how much he had spent in the game already. I took that as a good sign.
As we are sitting there I am watching him win pots with 10 3os and J2o. Ok, I can see why he has spent so much money in the game. Then later he complains about some of the bad luck he has had with the monsters he has had snapped off. Kinda funny since he is willing to play just about any two cards preflop and can't get away from almost any draw or pair. I try to sit patiently with my line in the water and only get a few nibbles. The fun drinker to my left was there with a friend down at the other end of the table. That player felted another player and then decided it was time to go. We already had a couple of empty seats and with this player leaving, his fun drinking friend decided to go too. The only remaining players were a couple of grinders and the young seasoned kids. Not a great game so I decided to pack it in. Another reason for this was a 10% uncapped rake! If the pot was $213.00, they got $21.00!! It shouldn't have been called the rake but the rape of the pot. Makes it very hard to beat a game unless you win all the monster pots.
Anyways, I didn't lose any money but I never got to land one of the bigger fish in the ponds. Guess that is the way it goes somedays. At least I didn't get pulled in myself!
All around me the hooks were in the water and most of the fishermen were pulling in some very nice hauls. I only managed a few small minnows.
After spending the weekend in Cleveland I decided to partake in a little poker at a couple of the church festivals. Well the beer was flowing and plenty of chips were being splashed with the beer.
Way too many ESPN watchers play at the church festivals. Several times one player would make the call and then say "and I raise". Each time the dealer would try to explain that you couldn't do that. It was a string raise. And each time this would be followed by a declaration of "Beer guy!" The player was frustrated and stated how they have played for years that way. God I want invited to that home game.
The next player picked up alot of chirping chips from the "Beer guy, I raise" (BGIR)player. On several flops he would state "Oh yeah, that's what I was looking for. You can believe me or not, but that is what I wanted to see". He got the chips when BGIR player shoved ai on a gutshot draw on the flop and failed to hit. About a $145 all in into a $32 pot! Then the chirpy player proceeded to give back those and a few more chips to BGIR on an Ace high bluff when BGIR flopped a set.
Each of these two player proceeded to pass their stacks or good portions of them off to two other players. Both times on bluffs. Alas, I was unable to pick up either of their stacks. Wasn't really hitting alot. Was up a little so I decided to head out to the next festival.
At this festival I sit down into what I was told was a $5/10 LHE game. Turned out to be a $1/2 NL. Gotta luv a competent floor.
Anyways, I sit down and notice one or two players I have seen before. A few young players that actually look fairly seasoned by the way they handled themselves and their chips and of course the church festival beer drinkers there for fun.
One of the fun drinkers was to my left. He picked up a pot when he hit the river and another player made a comment and the fun drinker stated they should give him some slack based on how much he had spent in the game already. I took that as a good sign.
As we are sitting there I am watching him win pots with 10 3os and J2o. Ok, I can see why he has spent so much money in the game. Then later he complains about some of the bad luck he has had with the monsters he has had snapped off. Kinda funny since he is willing to play just about any two cards preflop and can't get away from almost any draw or pair. I try to sit patiently with my line in the water and only get a few nibbles. The fun drinker to my left was there with a friend down at the other end of the table. That player felted another player and then decided it was time to go. We already had a couple of empty seats and with this player leaving, his fun drinking friend decided to go too. The only remaining players were a couple of grinders and the young seasoned kids. Not a great game so I decided to pack it in. Another reason for this was a 10% uncapped rake! If the pot was $213.00, they got $21.00!! It shouldn't have been called the rake but the rape of the pot. Makes it very hard to beat a game unless you win all the monster pots.
Anyways, I didn't lose any money but I never got to land one of the bigger fish in the ponds. Guess that is the way it goes somedays. At least I didn't get pulled in myself!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
