So I've played around 85 games in the past 2 days, and ended up break-even. I should be pissed off, but I reviewed my hands (took a good 4 hours), and apart from a few stupid moves, I seem to get my money in ahead. 85 games breakeven stretches don't seem to be out of the ordinary judging from what I hear from others, so I'm not too worried at the moment.
On the plus side, I don't seem to tilt...at all. I haven't made too many stupid moves based on being angry or going batshit crazy because of a few suck-outs.
The bad things I did note about my play are:
- Getting stubborn with AK/AJ/AQ.
- Trying to bluff lagtards when not hitting hands...it just burns money. I should never bluff them with nothing, and should at least have a tiny piece of the board.
- Sometimes I try to be too tricky, which at the $11 level doesn't seem to work...at all.
- Value bet, value bet, value bet! God damnit I need to stop missing value by trying to faint weakness and checking behind when I have the nuts. Not only that, but I give the dude a chance to hit his outs for free.
Anyway, I'm really only in it to learn, and I don't really have a monetary goal right now...so just gonna continue to analyze my hand histories, and focus on improving. I wanna move up in stakes because I beat the lower levels, not because I have the necessary bankroll. Since I've restarted my challenge again, I've run at 19.6% ROI, including this breakeven stretch...so I can't really complain.
Comedy hand of today:
PokerStars Game #25358531633: Tournament #143696410, $11.00+$0.50 Hold'em No Limit - Match Round I, Level I (10/20) - 2009/02/26 2:51:53 GMT [2009/02/25 21:51:53 ET]
Table '143696410 1' 2-max Seat #2 is the button
Seat 1: Villain (1685 in chips)
Seat 2: Hero (1315 in chips)
Hero: posts small blind 10
Villain: posts big blind 20
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to Hero [8d Ac]
Hero: raises 40 to 60
Villain: calls 40
*** FLOP *** [8h 8c Td]
Villain: bets 20
Hero: raises 70 to 90
Villain: raises 190 to 280
Hero: raises 975 to 1255 and is all-in
Villain: calls 975
*** TURN *** [8h 8c Td] [Js]
*** RIVER *** [8h 8c Td Js] [4h]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
Villain: shows [Ts Qs] (two pair, Tens and Eights)
Hero: shows [8d Ac] (three of a kind, Eights)
Hero collected 2630 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 2630 | Rake 0
Board [8h 8c Td Js 4h]
Seat 1: Villain (big blind) showed [Ts Qs] and lost with two pair, Tens and Eights
Seat 2: Hero (button) (small blind) showed [8d Ac] and won (2630) with three of a kind, Eights
No, top pair isn't always good...especially in a 4bet pot!! I actually put him on the remaining 8 with a weaker kicker...
Anyway, I will probably play a few more 4mans over the next few days. Over my super small sample size of 24 games in 2 days, I achieved an ITM of 50%, which leads to a pretty ridiculous ROI. Not sure why, but I feel really good playing the 2nd game starting with 3000 chips.
PS: I also final tabled the $5 HU tournament again. Ran pretty much card dead on the final table. I lost because I got a bit desperate and tried to bluff a lagtard and he made a few crazy calldowns with med pair on super scary boards, and I never really recovered.
Thursday, 26 February 2009
Tuesday, 24 February 2009
Learning a lot
Today was a bit of a grind. I wanted to spend the day trying out different moves at the $11 games, to learn how the average opponent reacts to donkbets, weak cbets, monkey-aggro 3betting, and so on. This led to some interesting swings...but I kinda expected this because when you try out stuff you're bound to crash 'n burn once in a while.
The most important lesson I learned today, is that at this level, elaborate bluffs just burn money against the average opponent. A lot of them make crazy call-downs with bottom pair, even if the board is super-drawy and you've bet strongly for 3 streets. The best strategy seems to be to just play straight-forward, be tight on the BB, and valuebet strongly when you hit.
Here's an example of how bad the players at this level are, and how crazy they go if they hit any part of the board, even with a ridiculous weak kicker:
***** Hand History for Game 25268429846 ***** (Poker Stars)
$3000.00 USD NL Texas Hold'em - Monday, February 23, 06:04:02 ET 2009
Table 143075609 1 (Real Money)
Seat 2 is the button
Seat 1: Hero ( $2065.00 USD )
Seat 2: Villain ( $935.00 USD )
Villain posts small blind [$15.00 USD].
Hero posts big blind [$30.00 USD].
** Dealing down cards **
Dealt to Hero [ Ah Kd ]
Villain raises [$75.00 USD]
Hero raises [$270.00 USD]
Villain calls [$210.00 USD]
** Dealing Flop ** [ 7c, 9d, Ks ]
Hero checks
Villain bets [$635.00 USD]
Hero calls [$635.00 USD]
** Dealing Turn ** [ Jc ]
** Dealing River ** [ Qs ]
Hero shows [Ah, Kd ]
Villain shows [Kh, 3d ]
Hero wins $1870.00 USD from main pot
First he calls a 3.5x 3bet with K3o, and then goes all-in on the flop because he hits top pair and doesn't know what else to do. Reverse implied odds...even if he hits his king (which unfortunately for him he did), his pot-sized bet will only be called by better hands.
Anyway, I feel I learned A LOT today. I played a few $22 regulars who dropped down to the $11 games, and they didn't seem any better than the average $11 player. Overall, I feel very comfortable playing and expect to move up relatively quickly.
I also spend 2.5hrs watching (more like "studying") videos, which in my opinion helps immensely in learning quicker.
Current bankroll: $411.2
The most important lesson I learned today, is that at this level, elaborate bluffs just burn money against the average opponent. A lot of them make crazy call-downs with bottom pair, even if the board is super-drawy and you've bet strongly for 3 streets. The best strategy seems to be to just play straight-forward, be tight on the BB, and valuebet strongly when you hit.
Here's an example of how bad the players at this level are, and how crazy they go if they hit any part of the board, even with a ridiculous weak kicker:
***** Hand History for Game 25268429846 ***** (Poker Stars)
$3000.00 USD NL Texas Hold'em - Monday, February 23, 06:04:02 ET 2009
Table 143075609 1 (Real Money)
Seat 2 is the button
Seat 1: Hero ( $2065.00 USD )
Seat 2: Villain ( $935.00 USD )
Villain posts small blind [$15.00 USD].
Hero posts big blind [$30.00 USD].
** Dealing down cards **
Dealt to Hero [ Ah Kd ]
Villain raises [$75.00 USD]
Hero raises [$270.00 USD]
Villain calls [$210.00 USD]
** Dealing Flop ** [ 7c, 9d, Ks ]
Hero checks
Villain bets [$635.00 USD]
Hero calls [$635.00 USD]
** Dealing Turn ** [ Jc ]
** Dealing River ** [ Qs ]
Hero shows [Ah, Kd ]
Villain shows [Kh, 3d ]
Hero wins $1870.00 USD from main pot
First he calls a 3.5x 3bet with K3o, and then goes all-in on the flop because he hits top pair and doesn't know what else to do. Reverse implied odds...even if he hits his king (which unfortunately for him he did), his pot-sized bet will only be called by better hands.
Anyway, I feel I learned A LOT today. I played a few $22 regulars who dropped down to the $11 games, and they didn't seem any better than the average $11 player. Overall, I feel very comfortable playing and expect to move up relatively quickly.
I also spend 2.5hrs watching (more like "studying") videos, which in my opinion helps immensely in learning quicker.
Current bankroll: $411.2
Sunday, 22 February 2009
Long overdue update
Well, it's been a while...but I was super busy and didn't get to play much.
The snowboard vacation rocked, and I did a lot of snowshoe trips. I took my laptop along, and managed to tag into a super-weak wireless connection. However, I told myself I wouldn't play because I'd just disconnect and lose money...but sometimes I don't listen to myself, so disconnecting and losing money is exactly what I did. Didn't bother me all that much though, had too much of a great time snowboarding.
Anyway, once I came back, there was a letter in my mail from the company I work for. I got super excited thinking it's the bonus pay notice. Turns out it was a letter of redundancy...great start into the new year. So I've been super busy the past month wrapping up my last few projects, and trying to get a new job. Finding a job in finance/consulting in London isn't an easy thing thanks to the financial crisis. Anyway, I now have 2 offers which would have me start in May, and both would result in a significant pay raise compared to my old job. So overall I'm quite pleased...having good contacts in this business definitely helps. Anyway, until May, I'm on an extended vacation. So plenty of time to play poker, go out, snowboard some more...and generally enjoy life!
Poker wise things are finally turning around as well after having donked of some money playing drunk and with a crappy connection during my vacation. I never redeposited, but was down to $50 at one point. Since then I've worked it up to again, and winning a $5 HU tournament definitely helped.
I moved to the $11 full-time now, and thanks to all the free time I have, I'll be putting in a lot of volume. Once I hit $550, I'll get started on the $22s.
On a side-note, I've signed up with TheSNGacademy to benefit from Primo's videos, and love the content so far. I've also joined HUSNG.com because their lineup is awesome: xSCWx, RyPac13, Croixdawg, an Skates!!! I bought xSCWx's old video pack, so joining HUSNG.com was a no-brainer. And it looks like Hokie will produce a few guest videos as well...so well worth the money. I've paid for HUSNG.com with poker winnings, which is pretty cool.
Current bankroll: $362 (+$165 I spent on HUSNG.com)
The snowboard vacation rocked, and I did a lot of snowshoe trips. I took my laptop along, and managed to tag into a super-weak wireless connection. However, I told myself I wouldn't play because I'd just disconnect and lose money...but sometimes I don't listen to myself, so disconnecting and losing money is exactly what I did. Didn't bother me all that much though, had too much of a great time snowboarding.
Anyway, once I came back, there was a letter in my mail from the company I work for. I got super excited thinking it's the bonus pay notice. Turns out it was a letter of redundancy...great start into the new year. So I've been super busy the past month wrapping up my last few projects, and trying to get a new job. Finding a job in finance/consulting in London isn't an easy thing thanks to the financial crisis. Anyway, I now have 2 offers which would have me start in May, and both would result in a significant pay raise compared to my old job. So overall I'm quite pleased...having good contacts in this business definitely helps. Anyway, until May, I'm on an extended vacation. So plenty of time to play poker, go out, snowboard some more...and generally enjoy life!
Poker wise things are finally turning around as well after having donked of some money playing drunk and with a crappy connection during my vacation. I never redeposited, but was down to $50 at one point. Since then I've worked it up to again, and winning a $5 HU tournament definitely helped.
I moved to the $11 full-time now, and thanks to all the free time I have, I'll be putting in a lot of volume. Once I hit $550, I'll get started on the $22s.
On a side-note, I've signed up with TheSNGacademy to benefit from Primo's videos, and love the content so far. I've also joined HUSNG.com because their lineup is awesome: xSCWx, RyPac13, Croixdawg, an Skates!!! I bought xSCWx's old video pack, so joining HUSNG.com was a no-brainer. And it looks like Hokie will produce a few guest videos as well...so well worth the money. I've paid for HUSNG.com with poker winnings, which is pretty cool.
Current bankroll: $362 (+$165 I spent on HUSNG.com)
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