...... 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!
Monday, August 4, 2008
Monday, July 28, 2008
Rant post
Well it has been awhile since I openly criticized someone I was playing with live... but it happened again. Even though it was probably justified (who doesn't think they are in the right when they go off on someone. LOL) I really shouldn't have done it.
Another sad aspect of me going off on him was this was at the club I deal at. Bad move on my part.
Unfortunately this was a kid who I used to have more respect for his game. I always thought he was a little aggressive and lucky but still respected his game.
Leading up to my little blow up I had been losing..... mainly due to playing bad and calling ai when I knew I was behind, praying to get lucky (which I did but they had already gotten luckier. LOL).
Easy for me to laugh about things now but at the time it put me on serious tilt. Funny thing was I was playing better and a bit less passively after going on tilt. Made a few good reads and went with them and they were right.
The situation happened when a tight/aggressive player raised to $20 utg. I flat called with 99 feeling I was probably behind but looking for a good flop. Another smooth caller and then this kid min raises to $40!.
There is no point in min raising any situation where you don't feel you already have the best hand and you hope the original raiser comes back over the top. I have ranted for years that I hate the min raise in NL in almost every situation. You are either begging to get beat or just bleeding money to the eventual winner.
Anyways, it gets back the the original raiser and of course he reraises $100. The kid had a disgusted look on his face. I couldn't call this reraise knowing I was way behind for sure now. So I start in on the kid with "great min raise" " I see you are happy about it too, real good play." The other smooth caller calls (known to tend to be a calling station once he decides he wants to play) and the kid smooth calls. Flop comes J108, two clubs. The original raiser goes ai with about $185. They both just call. The kid only has maybe $34 behind. Gotta love the call but not willing to commit that last 10% of his hand beginning stack. 7d right on the turn and a blank 5s on the river. KK takes it does, mainly due to the min raise. Kid never showed his hand. Didn't even wait to see the utg hand before he mucked.
I was steaming for another 2 hours after that. The tight utg player was ai and after the hand had one and a half racks of $5 chips plus 10 $25 chips. I would have won about 80% of that. I know I should want him to make that play. Hell I even tried earlier limping with KK in ep hoping for a raise from one of the many raisers at the table, no luck of course. I just should have let it go. But I let my tilt get the better of me.
Hopefully I will do better in the future of not letting it get to me. Just have to not tilt myself.
Another sad aspect of me going off on him was this was at the club I deal at. Bad move on my part.
Unfortunately this was a kid who I used to have more respect for his game. I always thought he was a little aggressive and lucky but still respected his game.
Leading up to my little blow up I had been losing..... mainly due to playing bad and calling ai when I knew I was behind, praying to get lucky (which I did but they had already gotten luckier. LOL).
Easy for me to laugh about things now but at the time it put me on serious tilt. Funny thing was I was playing better and a bit less passively after going on tilt. Made a few good reads and went with them and they were right.
The situation happened when a tight/aggressive player raised to $20 utg. I flat called with 99 feeling I was probably behind but looking for a good flop. Another smooth caller and then this kid min raises to $40!.
There is no point in min raising any situation where you don't feel you already have the best hand and you hope the original raiser comes back over the top. I have ranted for years that I hate the min raise in NL in almost every situation. You are either begging to get beat or just bleeding money to the eventual winner.
Anyways, it gets back the the original raiser and of course he reraises $100. The kid had a disgusted look on his face. I couldn't call this reraise knowing I was way behind for sure now. So I start in on the kid with "great min raise" " I see you are happy about it too, real good play." The other smooth caller calls (known to tend to be a calling station once he decides he wants to play) and the kid smooth calls. Flop comes J108, two clubs. The original raiser goes ai with about $185. They both just call. The kid only has maybe $34 behind. Gotta love the call but not willing to commit that last 10% of his hand beginning stack. 7d right on the turn and a blank 5s on the river. KK takes it does, mainly due to the min raise. Kid never showed his hand. Didn't even wait to see the utg hand before he mucked.
I was steaming for another 2 hours after that. The tight utg player was ai and after the hand had one and a half racks of $5 chips plus 10 $25 chips. I would have won about 80% of that. I know I should want him to make that play. Hell I even tried earlier limping with KK in ep hoping for a raise from one of the many raisers at the table, no luck of course. I just should have let it go. But I let my tilt get the better of me.
Hopefully I will do better in the future of not letting it get to me. Just have to not tilt myself.
Monday, July 21, 2008
Chugging Along
Been meaning to post something for the past couple of weeks. Just kept on putting it off.
Not alot has been happening except for a pretty bad run on live tournaments. I think I have played 19 live tournaments since the end of March. Only cashed once for $45.00. Pretty sad. Some of it (probably alot of it) is due to my bad play. But really seem card dead in tourneys when I am playing well. Eh, such is poker life.
In live ring games I have been having a pretty decent streak. Not killing the games or anything but I have played maybe 16 times since the end of March and I have only lost twice. Both losses were fairly small considering the games I was in and length of sessions so I am pretty happy with that. I think for a few more months I will continue to concentrate on ring games and play only an occasional tourney till things turn around for me in tournies.
Been doing ok online in tournies. Won another Saturdays with Dr. Pauly. I must be a huge lucksack because the same day I also won a tourney type I had never played before. Friends of mine are constantly bugging me to try short handed games (6-max). I normally like to grind at 9 or 10 player per table tournies but figured I would give it a try. I think we had just over 200 players. And somehow for a game I am not particularly good at, I managed to end up on top. I must just have been running very goooooot that day.
Been trying to the PLO8 (.02/.05) games on Pokerstars. I am way to easy to tilt in those games. I really have to get that under control. They are loving me at those tables because I keep dumping tons on them. I think I will back off of them for awhile.... or at least only play one table versus the 3 I normally play.
Dealing has been going ok. Dealt a $250 buy in yesterday. They had 103 players for the tourney. Pretty good for central Ohio. Decent structure with 5k in starting chips and 30 minute blinds. Had alot of new players at the club.
There are now 5 gaming clubs in central Ohio. I have been to only two of them but know of 2 2 of the remaining 3 and know that those 2 clubs are very small with not alot of action. The 5th club is further away and I doubt I will ever visit it. It will be interesting to see if the 2nd club I have been to will prosper. I hope they do only because I love the game and there are plenty of players to go around. The Gemini Players Club (www.geminiplayersclub.com) is still the best.
Played some 3/6 over the weekend at a Church festival and one of the local vegas nights. Had a few people talking to themselves with my change up in play. But I was mainly having fun.
Not alot has been happening except for a pretty bad run on live tournaments. I think I have played 19 live tournaments since the end of March. Only cashed once for $45.00. Pretty sad. Some of it (probably alot of it) is due to my bad play. But really seem card dead in tourneys when I am playing well. Eh, such is poker life.
In live ring games I have been having a pretty decent streak. Not killing the games or anything but I have played maybe 16 times since the end of March and I have only lost twice. Both losses were fairly small considering the games I was in and length of sessions so I am pretty happy with that. I think for a few more months I will continue to concentrate on ring games and play only an occasional tourney till things turn around for me in tournies.
Been doing ok online in tournies. Won another Saturdays with Dr. Pauly. I must be a huge lucksack because the same day I also won a tourney type I had never played before. Friends of mine are constantly bugging me to try short handed games (6-max). I normally like to grind at 9 or 10 player per table tournies but figured I would give it a try. I think we had just over 200 players. And somehow for a game I am not particularly good at, I managed to end up on top. I must just have been running very goooooot that day.
Been trying to the PLO8 (.02/.05) games on Pokerstars. I am way to easy to tilt in those games. I really have to get that under control. They are loving me at those tables because I keep dumping tons on them. I think I will back off of them for awhile.... or at least only play one table versus the 3 I normally play.
Dealing has been going ok. Dealt a $250 buy in yesterday. They had 103 players for the tourney. Pretty good for central Ohio. Decent structure with 5k in starting chips and 30 minute blinds. Had alot of new players at the club.
There are now 5 gaming clubs in central Ohio. I have been to only two of them but know of 2 2 of the remaining 3 and know that those 2 clubs are very small with not alot of action. The 5th club is further away and I doubt I will ever visit it. It will be interesting to see if the 2nd club I have been to will prosper. I hope they do only because I love the game and there are plenty of players to go around. The Gemini Players Club (www.geminiplayersclub.com) is still the best.
Played some 3/6 over the weekend at a Church festival and one of the local vegas nights. Had a few people talking to themselves with my change up in play. But I was mainly having fun.
Monday, June 23, 2008
Phobias.... and bankrolls
Still not playing a whole heckuva lot but when I have played I have won small amounts. Just happy to be consistent and not losing at the time. I need to improve my play though because by only winning small amounts it won't take but one or two losing sessions to wipe out six winning sessions or more.
Started to play a little 1/2 and 1/3 NL. I have been itching to get into the games but having developed the phobia that I have in the recent months of losing anything, I have been steering clear of those games. Problem is the games here in Ohio are so loose there is tons of money to be made at the tables. But at the same time that looseness is what scares the hell out of me. I don't have much of a "hitter" and people frequently hit out on me.
Guess if I am to improve my game I have to play in those games. And hopefully along the way build a decent bankroll. I think that is the key to my new phobia....... no bankroll beyond one or two sessions of play. Really sucks.
Started to play a little 1/2 and 1/3 NL. I have been itching to get into the games but having developed the phobia that I have in the recent months of losing anything, I have been steering clear of those games. Problem is the games here in Ohio are so loose there is tons of money to be made at the tables. But at the same time that looseness is what scares the hell out of me. I don't have much of a "hitter" and people frequently hit out on me.
Guess if I am to improve my game I have to play in those games. And hopefully along the way build a decent bankroll. I think that is the key to my new phobia....... no bankroll beyond one or two sessions of play. Really sucks.
Monday, June 9, 2008
Something new
I wanted to try and post this link because this is one of the best blogs I read.
Anyone reading it that enjoys poker but also the many aspects of life around it and life in general will thoroughly enjoy this.
Lets hope I paste this link correctly.
Ok, so I wasn't able to figure out how to put it in this actual post but I was able to get it up to the
right of the posts.
And currently Pauly is doing great daily blogging from the WSOP. Check it out.
He also puts on a great tourney on Saturdays. PLO @ 4:20 EST on Pokerstars.
Anyone reading it that enjoys poker but also the many aspects of life around it and life in general will thoroughly enjoy this.
Lets hope I paste this link correctly.
Ok, so I wasn't able to figure out how to put it in this actual post but I was able to get it up to the
right of the posts.
And currently Pauly is doing great daily blogging from the WSOP. Check it out.
He also puts on a great tourney on Saturdays. PLO @ 4:20 EST on Pokerstars.
Monday, June 2, 2008
New Month ....... New Post
Well still playing tons of freerolls and low low buy in SNGs and MTTs.
I am a member of a website that has freerolls on UB and Walker poker. The freerolls are $300 and $500 respectively. The fields are small (300+ - relatively small for the $ amount) and very weak. I have played in 4 of them and made the final table twice and top 20 players one other time. I managed to get lucky and get $45 on Walker poker through these freerolls. The site is ok... definitely a different look. Traffic on it seems to be picking up. I have only played a few micro ring games on it and I have not done very well but that is due to my very poor play and chasing. LOL If anyone ( if there is anyone that reads this blog.... LOL) wants info on the site that offers these freerolls I can invite you to be a member.
Been playing live limit lately. Not alot but have been winning small sums. Mainly hitting and running... though that isn't what I want to do. Just don't have alot of time to sit at the tables. Only play anywhere from 1-2 hours and then go. Mainly playing up in the Cleveland area which is one of the reasons for the limit on time.
I did finally manage to play in a blogger tournament. It was Dr. Pauly's on Saturdays. It is PLO and there were 28 players. I managed to lucksack my way to a win!!! Only the second, maybe 3rd blogger tourney I have ever played and probably first PLO one. Was pretty happy with the win to say the least. Hopefully I will be able to play in more of the blogger tournies.... just depends on my bankroll (lack thereof) and schedule.
I am a member of a website that has freerolls on UB and Walker poker. The freerolls are $300 and $500 respectively. The fields are small (300+ - relatively small for the $ amount) and very weak. I have played in 4 of them and made the final table twice and top 20 players one other time. I managed to get lucky and get $45 on Walker poker through these freerolls. The site is ok... definitely a different look. Traffic on it seems to be picking up. I have only played a few micro ring games on it and I have not done very well but that is due to my very poor play and chasing. LOL If anyone ( if there is anyone that reads this blog.... LOL) wants info on the site that offers these freerolls I can invite you to be a member.
Been playing live limit lately. Not alot but have been winning small sums. Mainly hitting and running... though that isn't what I want to do. Just don't have alot of time to sit at the tables. Only play anywhere from 1-2 hours and then go. Mainly playing up in the Cleveland area which is one of the reasons for the limit on time.
I did finally manage to play in a blogger tournament. It was Dr. Pauly's on Saturdays. It is PLO and there were 28 players. I managed to lucksack my way to a win!!! Only the second, maybe 3rd blogger tourney I have ever played and probably first PLO one. Was pretty happy with the win to say the least. Hopefully I will be able to play in more of the blogger tournies.... just depends on my bankroll (lack thereof) and schedule.
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Back to live play.... but as a dealer
Well have played a little live lately.... exactly twice.... playing limit holdem.
Played 5/10 in Cleveland and 10/20 here. Both for less than 2 hours but book small wins.
When I have been around live cards I have been dealing lately at the local club here. Also there is a new club opening that I may end up helping out at. Been dealing some live 1/3 NL and 5/5 NL. When I deal and watch these games it reminds me of the Wizard of Oz..... when the Scarecrow was singing..... "If I only had a brain......."..... in my mind I am singing .. " if I only had a bankroll..... ". LOL
Still playing online in the low limits. Finally made a good showing on Fulltilt in something other than a freeroll...... though I have done ok in those also. Played a $3 MTT (not the Turbo/Knockout). Got 2nd! I was very happy with that even though it was only 186 players. First decent cash I have had on FT. Also played about 6 or 7 freerolls a couple of weekends ago. Cashed in two, bubbled a third (30th place). Not bad reaching top 1% of players 2 out of 7 tried and another top 2% placing in a third tournament. Also made top 100 in a fourth tournament.
Have also made a couple of good runs at the micro tournies on Stars ($2.50 and under MTTs). No big cashes but best finish was 18th out of 2700 + players. Sucky part is for making better than top 1% of field I only got around 5 or 6 times my buy in. It was only a $1 MTT but I think Stars paying out of top 20% of field sucks because when you do run deep unless you make the final table you don't get crap. Would be like making the top 50 in the WSOP main event and only getting $17k. Stars needs to fix that and quit being so greedy.
Have also been doing well on UB in the small buy in SNGs. Not great just grinding away. Slowly (very slowly) building my account up on there. Love the $0.50 multitable SNGs. LOL
Played 5/10 in Cleveland and 10/20 here. Both for less than 2 hours but book small wins.
When I have been around live cards I have been dealing lately at the local club here. Also there is a new club opening that I may end up helping out at. Been dealing some live 1/3 NL and 5/5 NL. When I deal and watch these games it reminds me of the Wizard of Oz..... when the Scarecrow was singing..... "If I only had a brain......."..... in my mind I am singing .. " if I only had a bankroll..... ". LOL
Still playing online in the low limits. Finally made a good showing on Fulltilt in something other than a freeroll...... though I have done ok in those also. Played a $3 MTT (not the Turbo/Knockout). Got 2nd! I was very happy with that even though it was only 186 players. First decent cash I have had on FT. Also played about 6 or 7 freerolls a couple of weekends ago. Cashed in two, bubbled a third (30th place). Not bad reaching top 1% of players 2 out of 7 tried and another top 2% placing in a third tournament. Also made top 100 in a fourth tournament.
Have also made a couple of good runs at the micro tournies on Stars ($2.50 and under MTTs). No big cashes but best finish was 18th out of 2700 + players. Sucky part is for making better than top 1% of field I only got around 5 or 6 times my buy in. It was only a $1 MTT but I think Stars paying out of top 20% of field sucks because when you do run deep unless you make the final table you don't get crap. Would be like making the top 50 in the WSOP main event and only getting $17k. Stars needs to fix that and quit being so greedy.
Have also been doing well on UB in the small buy in SNGs. Not great just grinding away. Slowly (very slowly) building my account up on there. Love the $0.50 multitable SNGs. LOL
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