Okay, I really should have taken the last two days off

Today and yesterday felt like a chore again. But I played as it's part of the daily routine now and the going's been good, so why stop? Maybe I'll keep it up until a bad day, I don't know. I HAVE to go grocery shopping tomorrow, so that will kill some time. We'll see what the turn brings.

YTD: +$2142.78

So I lied...

I played today. Poker players lie sometimes.

One hand of PLO got away, would have been nice to keep my suckout, but no matter what I was behind to start. I had 778T ss (single suited) and the pot was raised and 3-way, flop was J74 with 2 clubs, two checks to me and I pot and get checkraised the max and I pushed with my 2nd set and gutshot. Lo and behold, I hit my gutshot on the turn but the case Jack hit the river and I lost to quads. That's poker.

YTD: +$2123.43

Balance

Today poker got a little repetitive, as I felt like I had to keep playing as I need money. So I think I'll take a few days off so I don't wear myself out. No more poker 'til February. After working all day I need some balance between poker and other stuff like keeping in shape etc.

YTD: +$2097.08

Stupid stupid stupid

So I came home trashed last night and played drunk. I hardly remember playing, and woke up today down a few hondo. Stupid. Gotta stop doin' that...

YTD: +1937.23

Looks to be a LHE year

In a way I'm glad too, as PLO is only online, and LHE is everywhere. I'm starting to like it more as there is more thinking when playing 6-handed as I have been lately.

For example, in this hand I had a good idea that my opponent was on a big ace and hit it on the river, and it gained me an extra bet.

PokerStars 3/6 Hold'em (6 handed) converter

Preflop: Hero is CO with 9c, Ac.
UTG raises, 1 fold, Hero calls, 3 folds.

Flop: (5.33 SB) 7d, 7c, 4c (2 players)
UTG bets, Hero raises, UTG calls.

Turn: (4.66 BB) 9h (2 players)
UTG checks, Hero bets, UTG calls.

River: (6.66 BB) Ah (2 players)
UTG checks, Hero bets, UTG raises, Hero 3-bets, UTG calls.

Final Pot: 12.66 BB

Results in white below:
UTG has As Td (two pair, aces and sevens).
Hero has 9c Ac (two pair, aces and nines).
Outcome: Hero wins 12.66 BB.
YTD: +$1633.53

I'm finally learning to play poker

The subject above is more than just playing cards, which is what I used to do and am trying to get away from. I used to play in a way that could be described in a playbook, my actions written in black and white according to the situation. Now I try to play more poker. If a situation comes up where I can think I have an edge, I'm going to push it. I used to be afraid of the fluctuation of pushing the small edges; I was willing to submit to a slow grind for lower swings. I'm hoping for a breakthrough year.

YTD: +$1439.13

Took a shot, missed, and...

I took a shot at 10-20 6-handed, and lost what I had made earlier in the night. I was hoping to either make the day a big score or a break-even. I played okay, but there are definitely some good players at this level, and as I took more notes I got a better sense of the thinking game involved. Unfortunately, I was wrong a few times, and I broke about even for the day. I know this shot I took was not winner's tilt. How? I bought in for $400 and left with $23.50. I have high confidence that I would have left with $0.00 if I were on winner's tilt. I knew I had reached my limit for the day, and I had the discipline to sit and wait for another day.

Conclusion? Today I won.

YTD: +$898.13

Winner's tilt

One bad thing that can happen when on a good streak is to go on winner's tilt. A player gets the impression that they cannot lose and lose focus or make plays they normally wouldn't. I have done this numerous times, and I beat myself up for doing it. I need to learn to recognize that I have to stay focused when things are going well. You can't win everyday, and some days you just have to accept that. But winner's tilt is something I can learn to keep away from, and I will try to improve on it.

YTD: +$1274.63

VIP on Empire

Wow, that's kinda cool. Now I can redeem some points for cool stuff like hats or shirts or mugs and stuff like that. Or I get money for the points. Either or, it's pretty cool and means I've been playing okay for awhile.

YTD: +$869.90

I'm finally getting rakeback

Finally. I thought you could only get this when you signed up, and once you were signed up you were screwed. But a guy at my table was talking about rakeback and I chimed in complaining about how it sucks I didn't sign up for it, and he said he could do something about it. He gave me his email address and I should hear back tomorrow. I don't know what % I'll get back, but even 15% would be hundreds of dollars over the course of the year. Sweet.

YTD: +$779.72

The big online tourney

I have contemplated much over playing in the Sunday $215 weekly NLHE tournament with $500,000 guaranteed, but have never found the time or energy to play in it. This year, this WILL happen. I have earned seats through satellites for it but I just spend the tournament dollars on a bunch of smaller tournaments. Hopefully when I get the ball rolling all the way I'll be playing it often, and cashing.

YTD: +$701.22

Slowly getting back into it

Since I have found work checks don't do much above paying the bills, I plan to play more poker to fill in the gaps. Right now an hour or two a day is plenty. I like going to bed early, say 10ish, but right now it's worth it to stay up a little later to put in some hours. Hopefully I can keep this steady beginning of the year going.

YTD: +$558.84

Sometimes you're good, sometimes you're just damn lucky

Just a random hand I got very very very very lucky in. I had one out, but it happens. It sucks to be on the other end, I know.

Party Poker Pot-Limit Omaha High, $1 BB (8 handed) converter

Button ($186.45)
SB ($101.25)
Hero ($98.1)
UTG ($92.55)
UTG+1 ($75.4)
MP1 ($83)
MP2 ($124.8)
CO ($338.4)

Preflop: Hero is BB with Jh, Tc, Th, Jd.
1 fold, UTG+1 calls $1, MP1 calls $1, MP2 raises to $5.5, 3 folds, Hero calls $4.50, UTG+1 calls $4.50, MP1 calls $4.50.

Flop: ($22.50) Qd, 3c, Js (4 players)
Hero checks, UTG+1 checks, MP1 bets $21.4, MP2 folds, Hero raises to $85.6, UTG+1 folds, MP1 calls $56.10 (All-In).

Turn: ($185.60) Jc (2 players, 1 all-in)

River: ($185.60) 6d (2 players, 1 all-in)

Final Pot: $185.60

Results in white below:
Hero has Jh Tc Th Jd (four of a kind, jacks).
MP1 has Qh 7h Qc 2h (full house, queens full of jacks).
Outcome: Hero wins $185.59.

Bankroll

Something I have never kept. Always taking out to pay for stuff or to spend. But now with a job, I'm going to try to keep most of it set aside. I'll be realistic, I'm hoping to have 60% of what I make this year still available at the end of the year. The past few years' yields? Probably like 10%. Whew.

YTD: +$300.17

LHE or PLO?

Last year was about half and half LHE and PLO. I like PLO better, but the swings can be downright nasty. In LHE, I've found the swings aren't as bad but it really feels like work sometimes.

Another issue is the popularity difference. PLO games aren't always good; time of day can really matter in game selection. LHE games are generally good overall on the right sites.

Also, I wonder if my play is affected by multi-tabling both at the same time? Maybe just stick to one game at a time? I'll keep an eye on that.

YTD: +$293.52

The HALT system

Hungry, angry, lonely or tired. Don't play if you're any of those. Just something I read in CardPlayer some time ago. Cheesy, but it's pretty good advice.

Something about internet poker that really really really sucks is the possibility of losing your connection. Well today that just happened to happen, right in the middle of a tournament. Luckily, the internet maintenance man just happened to be coming today, and he arrived literally 10 minutes after the internet went out. Wow, talk about good timing. Is it a sign? Nah, I busted out. No superstition there.

YTD: +$422.20

Something I have noticed about time off

Wow. I just realized how much more patient I am now that I haven't played for weeks on end. There were times when I was surfing the 'net inbetween six-tabling. Now starting back up, one table is sometimes enough. That will change though. 'nite

YTD: +$381.27

Time off has been good... and bad

From my few hours of playing so far this year, I have remembered one thing about how I play. I am much more of a cash game player. In comparison, I generally am not a great tournament player. I play tournaments for the possibility of a big score, but they rarely happen, and when they don't, the bankroll dwindles.

Until I have built something up this year, I need to set some sort of limit so that I do not invest an unaffordable % of my money into tournaments. One a day? One a week? "X" amount of dollars per week? I'll sleep on it.

YTD: +$237.72

A new year

Tonight I played for the first time online this year, thanks to a free $50 from Empire for previous frequent playing on their site. What would be nice is if I could turn this toothpick into a lumberyard, and tonight was a small start.

I started with a $22 single-table NLHE tournament and got booted quickly when my JJ lost to AJ, oh well.

With my last free $28 I played $2-4 until I somehow quit with about $150. I'll take it for 2006 session A.

YTD: +$149.07

Much more to come... finally

Wow, so much for keeping this thing updated. I totally forgot, and I know why. Many changes lately. Biggest change since last post: real job. Finally, something else to pay the bills, something steady. I am just realizing at this moment that there are a million other things I can blab about on here now. So, time to add another blog, one separate from poker. What was I thinking? Only poker?