$500 Flip To End In The Black For The Day?

No-Limit Hold'em, $6.00 BB (2 handed) - Hold'em Manager Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com
Hero (Button) ($500)
SB ($500)

Preflop: Hero is Button with J, 3
SB raises $497 (All-In), Hero raises $494 (All-In)

Flop: ($1000) A, 9, 7 (2 players, 2 all-in)

Turn: ($1000) J (2 players, 2 all-in)

River: ($1000) 8 (2 players, 2 all-in)

Total pot: $1000
Results:
Hero had J, 3 (one pair, Jacks).
SB had Q, 4
Outcome: Hero won $999.50

Thx LolGingers, I owe you one. Here's my graph for the session:


So the graph is a little messed up because the flip was my last hand played, but you get the point. I was tilted because I logged on to play, and within 10 minutes 5 out of 12 of my tables broke. Granted, it was 4:00 AM, but it was still tilting, not to mention the fact that I got stacked within my first orbit of play with an overpair vs. top set. Then I ran KK into a set of tens in a 3 bet pot, and then the very last REAL hand I played I iso'd the CO limper w/ KK, he reraises to $33, I reraise him and he ships it in, I snap call and he flips AA of course. Gingers had said something about wanting to flip and I told him I might, so I offered to flip him for $500 and he obliged. Luckily I run good in flips, although I guess it makes up for being down 3k in allin equity this month.

I had a great session yesterday, winning $1200 between .5/1 and 1/2 in 6k hands. It was rather annoying because I started playing during the early afternoon, when there were only like six 1/2 tables running on Cake, so I added in all the .5/1 tables on Cake and another four .5/1 tables on FTP, so that I could 16 table and not get bored. Anyway, it was annoying because I would time out on the FTP tables quite a bit because they don't pop up at the same frequency as the Cake tables or something...I'm not sure what it is actually but I kept timing out. The Cake software froze up on me 4 times, which cost me at least $200, but what can you do? Also on FTP I can't scroll up or down w/ my mouse to change the bet sizing like I can on Cake, so that was annoying. For the month I'm up around $3200, plus another $1800 in rakeback and $200 from the rake race. So barring a huge loss tomorrow (later today lol) I'll still end up making $5k this month, but that just seems dissapointing. It's kind of sick that I'd be dissapointed making $60k a year, but I guess that's what poker does to you. It's probably the fact that I think I should be consistently making $10k a month that makes me think like that.

I've decided not to take the job that I talked about in my last blog post, for obvious reasons. I want to travel, I want to live it up while I still can, and I don't want to work in IT. Thanks for all of the comments, I appreciate it. Well I had some other stuff to talk about today, but I'm feeling really sick now (coughing and sneezing and tired) so I'll save it for another day. Here's how my driveway looks right now...oh joy!!!

To Stay A Pro Or Not...That Is The Question

Oh how I love making tough choices in life. On Friday I received an email from the VP of IT at my Dad's office seeing if I was interested in a Network Engineering job there. I'm basically a lock for the job if I decide to interview for it, since I interviewed there 4 years ago and got offered a job before I took the Technology Coordinator position at the school, and my Dad and the VP are best friends. I guess they are needing someone ASAP, and the VP told my Dad that his first thought was to see if I wanted the job. This means I need to decide really soon what my future plans are for 1 year, 3 years, and 7 years from now. I almost feel it would be criminal to turn down a $65k+/year job plus benefits in the current state of the job market, especially in the IT industry. However, I left my old job because I wanted out of the IT industry and wanted to do something different, but right now I'm questioning how much I really want to do personal training, which means basically I don't know wtf I want to do with my life.

I'm also hesitant to take this job because I have plans to travel a lot this year. Nfuego and I are likely going on this trip next month, which will last 5 weeks. We're driving obviously, and I want to stop at a lot of places along the way to take pictures with my new Canon Rebel (thx FTP store). This will be a great opportunity for me to see a lot of the country and get into photography like I've always wanted. We're planning on spending most of our time in Vegas and LA, with stops along the way at the major cities and other landmarks we want to visit.

Then I have plans to live in Vegas this summer with Damn Ringer and a couple other people. BTW, WE NEED A COUPLE MORE ROOMMATES. We're thinking of staying out there from the beginning of May until the end of July, or a timeframe similar to that. I also have a family reunion in Oregon this summer which lasts a week, and then I was thinking about exploring that part of the country afterwards. I've already seen most of Oregon, but it's such a beautiful state I wouldn't mind doing it again, or either going up to Seattle and Washington, or down the coast of Northern Cali.

After Vegas I'm talking about living somewhere in South America, like here with one of my ex-students and some of his poker friends. We don't have definite plans yet, but if I'm still playing poker professionally at that time, they can count me in. I would also like to take a journey across the pond to Europe, but I might have to wait until next year to do that. I mean, I do have a house here in Indiana so I should probably live in it for at least a little while this year.

The pros of taking the job would be the benefits, the guaranteed pay, and the ease of building my bankroll. The cons would be not being able to travel, I'd be stuck here in Indiana for however long I decide to keep working there, and working 40 hours a week again will suck. Honestly, right now I'm leaning towards turning it down because I would rather travel. I like my freedom right now way too much. I've been reading a lot about living in other countries, which is something that poker would easily allow me to do, so I really think while I'm young I should sieze the opportunity.

On the poker front, things have finally turned around. I'm up $1400 over the past 3 days. I had a +2 buyin session at 1/2 tonight, a +8 buyin session at .5/1 last night, and a +2 buyin session at .5/1 on Friday night. I almost lost it tonight because within the first 20 hands I got stacked w/ top and bottom pair against middle set, button vs. blind, then checked my balance a little while later and noticed I was down $500. Luckily I hung in there and played it out, and I think I've finally gotten almost all of my confidence back. Well I'm off to relax and think about life, later ya'll.

[ ] Games Are Dead

No-Limit Hold'em, $1.00 BB (10 handed) - Hold'em Manager Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com
Hero (CO) ($419.30)
Button ($97)
SB ($58.10)
BB ($18.45)
UTG ($117.40)
UTG+1 ($41.15)
UTG+2 ($98)
MP1 ($60)
MP2 ($100)
MP3 ($62.80)

Preflop: Hero is CO with K, J
UTG calls $1, 2 folds, MP1 (poster) checks, MP2 (poster) checks, MP3 calls $1, Hero raises $6.50, 3 folds, UTG calls $5.50, 1 fold, MP2 (poster) calls $5.50, MP3 calls $5.50

Haha, do you fools really think I'm going to let you see a flop so cheaply? Ok well that narrowed down the field quite a bit, lol.

Flop: ($28.50) J, Q, 9 (4 players)
UTG checks, MP2 bets $1, MP3 calls $1, Hero raises $32.50, UTG calls $32.50, MP2 calls $31.50, MP3 calls $31.50

C'mon now, you really think I'm going to let you bet $1 into $30. Naw, I'll raise a shit ton so it's just me and you buddy. Oh wait...

Turn: ($158.50) 5 (4 players)
UTG checks, MP2 bets $1, MP3 calls $1, Hero calls $1, UTG raises $75, MP2 calls $60 (All-In), MP3 calls $22.80 (All-In), Hero calls $74

Okay, I think I'll just take my 160:1 pot odds since I OBVIOUSLY don't have any fold equity. Well jeez, that's not going to work out either? Gotta call now...pot odds baby! C'mon, one time dealer...

River: ($393.30) 7 (4 players, 2 all-in)
UTG bets $3.40 (All-In), Hero calls $3.40

BINK!!!

Total pot: $400.10
Main pot: $253.70 between Hero, UTG, MP2 and MP3, won by Hero
Side pot 1: $111.60 between Hero, UTG and MP2, won by Hero
Side pot 2: $34.80 between Hero and UTG, won by Hero
Results:
UTG had K, Q (one pair, Queens).
MP2 had 6, 5 (flush, Queen high).
MP3 had A, 9 (one pair, nines).
Hero had K, J (flush, King high).
Outcome: Hero won $397.10

Yesterday I Played .50/1, Today I Played 5/10

Yeah yeah, so I'm a degenerate taking a shot at a 5/10 game with my $6k roll on Cake. I was planning on taking the day off, but I happened to open up Cake and was very surprised to see a 5/10 Full Ring game running. I opened up the table and I had notes on one of the players that he was a donk. He only had $630 so I decided what the hell, I can afford one bullet for a shot at him, so I bought in for $650 and sat directly to his left. I left 26 hands later with $141 in profit :) He left, so I left too, but it turns out one of the other players at the table was the real mark...but oh well...I probably shouldn't have been sitting in the game in the first place. I figured the way this month has been going though, I can risk 1/10th of my Cake roll on a shot and it's not really going to make things much worse if I lose the buyin.

This was the only significant hand that I played, and it's important to note that I just watched the Remix video on DC yesterday which talked about this play, which is known as a "back raise." The player who squeezed had been raising a ton and had already squeezed once, so I was certain I was ahead of his range and was ok to go w/ the hand preflop.

No-Limit Hold'em, $10.00 BB (10 handed) - Hold'em Manager Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com
Hero (Button) ($662)
SB ($1214)
BB ($305.80)
UTG ($2360.65)
UTG+1 ($1186)
UTG+2 ($3269.95)
MP1 ($2624.50)
MP2 ($1000)
MP3 ($1000)
CO ($687.60)

Preflop: Hero is Button with 10, 10
4 folds, MP2 raises $35, 2 folds, Hero calls $35, SB raises $150, 2 folds, Hero raises $331, 1 fold

Total pot: $355
Main pot: $355 won by Hero
Results:
Hero had 10, 10 (one pair, tens).
Outcome: Hero won $566

Well I'm about to watch the movie Traitor, although I'll probably pass out during it since I'm super tired from playing basketball this morning. Later ya'll.

P.S.~ Thanks for the compliments. Maybe one day I'll have the confidence to upload some of my original songs too. And Julie, yeah I can certainly take requests haha. What do you have in mind? I love hearing new songs...and learning them :) Oh, a/s/l? Are you single? Haha I kid, I kid.

Turning Things Around

Knock on wood...I've had two decent winning sessions since my last -$1k session, one yesterday for +360, and one today for +$480. I decided to play on FTP today because the Cake games looked horrible at both .50/1 and 1/2 so I fired up the software and began the quest to find the tables with the least amount of shortstackers. It truly is amazing how many freaking shortstackers play on that site. Being the degen that I am, I sat down at nine .50/1 FR tables with my $1100 roll. I kept having to switch tables in and out however because all of a sudden I'd look and two more shortstackers had joined a table. The games on FTP definitely seemed a lot softer than the games on Cake, so I'll probably put in a couple more sessions there later this week to decide where I want to play. I'll have to scope out the 1/2 games too to see what site I want to play on, either Stars or FTP. The 1/2 games on Cake really aren't all that great anymore, but I'll leave some money on there to play in good games at least.

Yesterday I sat at a good 2/4 game after talking this mega-donk who was sitting at a 2/4 table w/ a waitlist 11 people deep into playing another table. Damn Ringer, Goldseraph, and I were all there waiting on him like the true bumhunters that we are :) I ended up taking like $100 off him w/ ATo vs. J5s aaipf, and then another hand where I raised his donkbet w/ the nut flush draw and he folded, showing a gutshot. It didn't take him long to go busto on our table, which was unfortunate. Goldseraph was the luckbox who got most of his money at that table, although the donk ended up running his stack up to like $3500 on the other table before leaving with $1000. Here's a couple of his funny hands:

http://cakepoker.com/en/HandHistory/Default.aspx?Hand=xcPAzMTFxc3HwsTExMHFx4jBwcfGx80%3d

http://cakepoker.com/en/HandHistory/Default.aspx?Hand=xcPAzMTFxc3HwsTExMHFx4jBwcfGx80%3d


On another topic, I've been working on a 30 minute set for open mic night at a bar here in town. I've been learning several songs this past week, but still need to learn and memorize two more before I'm ready. Hopefully in two weeks I'll have a set together so I can start playing, which is something I've been meaning to do for quite a while. Anyway, today I sat down and recorded a raw version of Cannonball by Damien Rice, using just one of my mics and recording the guitar and vocals at the same time. If you want to hear it, go to http://www.soundclick.com/bands/vizer02. It's a very raw recording, but I guess it gives it more of that open mic feel. Let me know how bad I suck, seriously, because I don't want to be one of those people that are premiered at the beginning of American Idol who think they're decent but they really suck.

A Picture Says 1000 Words

Ship The Two Happy Meals Biiiooootttccchh!!!

Lol. A win is a win, right? I have now managed to put together 6 back to back winning sessions, although they're sad excuses for winning sessions. I won two buyins at .25/.50 HU yesterday afternoon, then at night I stepped back up to 1/2 Full Ring and made a buyin in 600 hands. I wasn't going to play tonight, but Undugu said the tables looked good, which enticed me to take a look. I logged in and sure enough they looked decent, although he, Mazzler, and I all started playing at the same time so they really weren't all that spectacular. The graph above is from today's session, which was nothing spectacular. I definitely have my confidence back, but I still slipped up in a few spots today that I shouldn't have. I guess we can't always play perfect right? I bluffed off a stack on the river to tptk in one hand (I had 7 high, can't show that down right?), stacked off w/ 99 pre to a 50bb semi-nit when he 3bet my iso which I probably could've passed on, and then misplayed a hand where I flopped tptk. That's the cool thing with poker though, it's one constant learning process. I've been bouncing a few more hands off people than I used to, just to get some other opinions and to spark my brain and I think it's really helping me focus.

This HU experiment is also going pretty well. I've been watching quite a few videos lately on my iphone before I go to bed (thanks to DC's compatible format). I think HU play is really going to help my game out tremendously. I know right now in HU I definitely have a leak playing 3bet pots, but that is something I'm going to work on and learn over time. It's just totally different going from 3betting 2-5% of hands in FR to 3betting 8-20% in HU. As you can imagine, I'm getting myself into a ton of spots that I'm not used to...but that's a good thing. The cool thing is I'm starting to enjoy poker again. Even though this month isn't going tremendously well (I'm up like 2.6k including rakeback), I feel like I'm learning a lot in the process...so if this downswing is what had to cause another spark under my ass to get more serious about this game, then I can accept it.

I'll leave ya'll with my favorite hand from today's session:

No-Limit Hold'em, $2.00 BB (10 handed) - Hold'em Manager Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com
Hero (Button) ($381.18)
SB ($140.25)
BB ($312.90)
UTG ($198)
UTG+1 ($236)
UTG+2 ($260.50)
MP1 ($221.85)
MP2 ($184.55)
MP3 ($169.55)
CO ($216.45)

Preflop: Hero is Button with 6, 7
4 folds, MP2 raises $9, 2 folds, Hero calls $9, 2 folds

Flop: ($21) 6, J, 6 (2 players)
MP2 bets $15, Hero calls $15

Turn: ($51) 7 (2 players)
MP2 bets $160.55 (All-In), Hero calls $160.55

River: ($372.10) Q (2 players, 1 all-in)

Total pot: $372.10
Main pot: $372.10 between Hero and MP2, won by MP2
Results:
Hero had 6, 7 (full house, sixes over sevens).
MP2 had Q, Q (full house, Queens over sixes).
Outcome: MP2 won $369.10

I laughed. I opened the hh and laughed again. Then I checked my balance and I was down over $700. Then I went to get a beer.

Lol What A Lagtard

Apparently my little HU experiment has rubbed off on my FR game. Well, probably just for today, but today's session I was playing 30/24 which is quite laggy for FR. I didn't start out that way, I started out playing my normal 18/15 game, got stuck big, and decided to just lag it up even more. Some examples of some of the hands that caused this:

No-Limit Hold'em, $1.00 BB (10 handed) - Hold'em Manager Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com
Hero (MP2) ($131.15)
MP3 ($21.10)
CO ($84.95)
Button ($75.90)
SB ($19)
BB ($112.90)
UTG ($81)
UTG+1 ($69.40)
UTG+2 ($206.95)
MP1 ($196.25)

Preflop: Hero is MP2 with A, J
4 folds, Hero raises $3.50, 2 folds, Button calls $3.50, 1 fold, BB calls $2.50

Flop: ($11) 3, 10, J (3 players)
BB checks, Hero bets $7, 1 fold, BB raises $20, Hero raises $57, BB raises $89.40 (All-In), Hero calls $45.40

Turn: ($229.80) 6 (2 players, 1 all-in)

River: ($229.80) A (2 players, 1 all-in)

Total pot: $229.80
Main pot: $229.80 between Hero and BB, won by BB
Results:
BB had 10, 10 (three of a kind, tens).
Hero had A, J (two pair, Aces and Jacks).
Outcome: BB won $226.80


No-Limit Hold'em, $1.00 BB (10 handed) - Hold'em Manager Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com
Hero (MP2) ($97.50)
MP3 ($125.55)
CO ($45.75)
SB ($96.60)
BB ($108.50)
UTG ($98.50)
UTG+1 ($41.55)
MP1 ($70.35)

Preflop: Hero is MP2 with A, A
UTG calls $1, 1 fold, MP1 calls $1, Hero calls $1, MP3 raises $6, 3 folds, UTG calls $5, 1 fold, Hero raises $20.50, MP3 calls $15.50, UTG calls $15.50

Flop: ($67) 8, 7, 4 (3 players)
UTG checks, Hero bets $76 (All-In), MP3 raises $104.05 (All-In), UTG calls $77 (All-In)

Turn: ($297) 4 (3 players, 3 all-in)

River: ($297) 2 (3 players, 3 all-in)

Total pot: $297
Main pot: $295 between Hero, MP3 and UTG, won by UTG
Side pot 1: $2 between MP3 and UTG, won by UTG
Results:
UTG had 8, 8 (full house, eights over fours).
Hero had A, A (two pair, Aces and fours).
MP3 had Q, Q
Outcome: UTG won $294

No-Limit Hold'em, $1.00 BB (9 handed) - Hold'em Manager Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com
Hero (SB) ($99)
BB ($41.35)
UTG ($103.15)
UTG+1 ($41.25)
MP2 ($304.95)
MP3 ($94.90)
CO ($59.20)
Button ($121.20)

Preflop: Hero is SB with 10, K
2 folds, MP2 calls $1, 1 fold, CO calls $1, 1 fold, Hero raises $4.50, BB calls $4, MP2 calls $4, 1 fold

Flop: ($16) 10, 2, 8 (3 players)
Hero bets $9, BB calls $9, MP2 raises $40, Hero raises $85 (All-In), 1 fold, MP2 calls $54

Turn: ($213) 7 (2 players, 1 all-in)

River: ($213) J (2 players, 1 all-in)

Total pot: $213
Main pot: $213 between Hero and MP2, won by MP2
Results:
Hero had 10, K (one pair, tens).
MP2 had 2, 2 (three of a kind, twos).
Outcome: MP2 won $210

The last stack off may seem a little light, but that player was a huge retard and I was way ahead of his range. So yeah, I started the session tilted out of my mind, but I finally got things back on track. After losing w/ AK to AA aaipf, I decided to quit the session. I kind of wanted to puke b/c I had huge stacks on almost all 8 of my tables...3 of which were close to 400bb's, but yet I was only up close to a buyin. But hey, a win is a win! Here's the graph of the session:


HU has been going pretty good as well. I'm up about 3 buyins in 1600 hands of .25/.50, which isn't stellar, but I feel like I'm definitely getting better. It's such an interesting game, from having to constantly make adjustments, play opponents with peculiar styles, and getting into marginal spots all the time. I'm going to take it slow and hopefully get some practice in each day, or if not at least watch a HU video. Hopefully in a few months I'll be a really good HU player who can play as high as 1/2, but we'll see. It's definitely a satisfying game. I had one opponent today who got up on me about 2 buyins, and I continued to grind him out because I was sure I was better than he was. I finally got deep with him and this hand went down:

No-Limit Hold'em, $0.50 BB (2 handed) - Hold'em Manager Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com

SB ($119.80)
Hero (Button) ($113.60)

Preflop: Hero is Button with A, Q
Hero raises $1.25, SB raises $5, Hero calls $4

Flop: ($11) J, Q, 4 (2 players)
SB bets $8, Hero raises $22, SB calls $14

Turn: ($55) 10 (2 players)
SB checks, Hero checks

River: ($55) 5 (2 players)
SB checks, Hero bets $28.50, SB calls $28.50

Total pot: $112
Main pot: $112 between SB and Hero, won by Hero
Results:
Hero had A, Q (one pair, Queens).
SB didn't show AcJc
Outcome: Hero won $111.50

We then had this come up. Twice in the match I had made these small flop raises in 3bet pots, and both times he flatted, then shoved on the turn. Both times I didn't have anything to call with though, so I was like what the hell let's try it again and see if he spazzes out. Sure enough, it worked.

No-Limit Hold'em, $0.50 BB (2 handed) - Hold'em Manager Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com
SB ($73.75)
Hero (Button) ($157.90)

Preflop: Hero is Button with 10, 10
Hero raises $1.25, SB raises $5, Hero calls $4

Flop: ($11) 5, 9, 9 (2 players)
SB bets $8, Hero raises $22.50, SB calls $14.50

Turn: ($56) 8 (2 players)
SB bets $45.75 (All-In), Hero calls $45.75

River: ($147.50) 2 (2 players, 1 all-in)

Total pot: $147.50
Main pot: $147.50 between SB and Hero, won by Hero
Results:
Hero had 10, 10 (two pair, tens and nines).
SB had Q, 10 (one pair, nines).
Outcome: Hero won $147

After that he was noticably tilting, and he eventually tilted off another buyin to me before quiting. One last hand before I go to bed...this beauty if from a HU session yesterday:

No-Limit Hold'em, $0.50 BB (2 handed) - Hold'em Manager Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com
Button ($78.25)
Hero (SB) ($119.45)

Preflop: Hero is SB with J, J
Button raises $1.25, Hero raises $4.50, Button calls $3.50

Flop: ($10) 10, 10, J (2 players)
Hero checks, Button bets $10, Hero calls $10

Turn: ($30) 8 (2 players)
Hero checks, Button checks

River: ($30) Q (2 players)
Hero checks, Button bets $30, Hero raises $104.45 (All-In), Button calls $33.25 (All-In)

Total pot: $156.50
Main pot: $156.50 between Button and Hero, won by Hero
Results:
Button had 9, Q (straight flush, Queen high).
Hero had J, J (full house, Jacks over tens).

Yeah I instaquit after that.

And So It Continues...

Well I cancelled the $7k cashout, and instead cashed down to keep a bankroll of $7k. I decided it made more sense to keep myself rolled for 1/2 and still be able to play it when I pull out of this downswing. However, I still can't win. I just played a long session where I was down 5 buyins, then up like a buyin, then finished down 2 buyins. It's like no matter what I do, I just get constantly coolered and coolered. I'm seriously so over this horseshit, but I want to make money so I just keep on trying. It's so frustrating to go from consistently having 1 losing session out of every 6-7 sessions, to having 6 back-to-back losing sessions. Let me just show you what I put up with today:

1.) Nice one outer on the flop. Standard. To top it all off I hit my redraw and then he fills up on the river.

No-Limit Hold'em, $1.00 BB (7 handed) - Hold'em Manager Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com
Hero (BB) ($258.40)
UTG ($81.10)
MP1 ($200.55)
MP2 ($94.55)
CO ($104.45)
Button ($34.95)
SB ($15.50)

Preflop: Hero is BB with A, A
1 fold, MP1 calls $1, 1 fold, CO raises $4, 1 fold, SB calls $3.50, Hero raises $15, 1 fold, CO calls $12, SB calls $11.50 (All-In)

Flop: ($48.50) 3, J, 4 (3 players, 1 all-in)
Hero bets $21, CO raises $43, Hero raises $221.40 (All-In), CO calls $45.45 (All-In)

Turn: ($225.40) Q (3 players, 3 all-in)

River: ($225.40) 3 (3 players, 3 all-in)

Total pot: $225.40
Main pot: $47.50 between Hero, CO and SB, won by CO
Side pot 1: $177.90 between Hero and CO, won by CO
Results:
SB didn't show Q, J
Hero had A, A (flush, Ace high).
CO had J, J (full house, Jacks over threes).
Outcome: CO won $222.40


2.) Oh sweet, I flopped top 2 pair in a 3bet pot, and you want to get it in? Ship it! Oh, wait, you have the nuts. Standard

No-Limit Hold'em, $1.00 BB (9 handed) - Hold'em Manager Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com
Hero (BB) ($100)
UTG ($107.15)
UTG+1 ($25.31)
MP1 ($28.30)
MP2 ($117.10)
MP3 ($282.06)
CO ($19.80)
Button ($155.50)
SB ($188.80)

Preflop: Hero is BB with K, A
1 fold, UTG+1 (poster) checks, 4 folds, Button raises $4.50, 1 fold, Hero raises $12, 1 fold, Button calls $8.50

Flop: ($27.50) K, A, 10 (2 players)
Hero bets $19, Button raises $84.50, Hero raises $68 (All-In), Button calls $2.50

Turn: ($201.50) 2 (2 players, 1 all-in)

River: ($201.50) 6 (2 players, 1 all-in)

Total pot: $201.50
Main pot: $201.50 between Hero and Button, won by Button
Results:
Button had Q, J (straight, Ace high).
Hero had K, A (two pair, Aces and Kings).
Outcome: Button won $198.50

3.) OMG a set! Well wait, Goldseraph is the BB, and wtf is he calling this shove with on the turn that I beat? Not a damn thing, so I guess I just have to fold. Fuckin A.

No-Limit Hold'em, $1.00 BB (10 handed) - Hold'em Manager Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com
Hero (MP2) ($99.50)
MP3 ($145.15)
CO ($53.50)
Button ($107.90)
SB ($175.80)
BB ($109.75)
UTG ($31.35)
UTG+1 ($105.35)
UTG+2 ($58.50)
MP1 ($96.45)

Preflop: Hero is MP2 with 3, 3
2 folds, UTG+2 calls $1, MP1 calls $1, Hero calls $1, MP3 raises $7.50, 3 folds, BB calls $6.50, 2 folds, Hero calls $6.50

Flop: ($25) 10, 3, 6 (3 players)
BB checks, Hero checks, MP3 bets $18, BB calls $18, Hero calls $18

Turn: ($79) Q (3 players)
BB checks, Hero checks, MP3 bets $119.65 (All-In), BB calls $84.25 (All-In), Hero folds

River: ($247.50) 2 (2 players, 2 all-in)

Total pot: $247.50
Main pot: $247.50 between MP3 and BB, won by BB
Results:
BB had 6, 6 (three of a kind, sixes).
MP3 didn't show
Outcome: BB won $244.50

4.) Sometimes I get sick of folding. I can easily see him doing this with a lot of draws and sometimes worse pairs. But no, it's just a really cool way to play the nuts.

No-Limit Hold'em, $1.00 BB (9 handed) - Hold'em Manager Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com
Hero (UTG) ($129.80)
UTG+1 ($115.30)
MP1 ($109.10)
MP2 ($20)
MP3 ($94)
CO ($99.85)
Button ($536.80)
SB ($21.55)
BB ($296.97)

Preflop: Hero is UTG with J, J
Hero raises $3, 1 fold, MP1 calls $3, 6 folds

Flop: ($7.50) 5, 5, 6 (2 players)
Hero bets $4, MP1 raises $12, Hero raises $23, MP1 raises $94.10 (All-In), Hero calls $79.10

Turn: ($219.70) 8 (2 players, 1 all-in)

River: ($219.70) 3 (2 players, 1 all-in)

Total pot: $219.70
Main pot: $219.70 between Hero and MP1, won by MP1
Results:
Hero had J, J (two pair, Jacks and fives).
MP1 had 6, 6 (full house, sixes over fives).
Outcome: MP1 won $216.70

5.) I contemplated folding on the river. Honestly, I think I should've since all I beat was AK and bluffs, and a bluff would've been retarded. Really, I was just so sick of folding in big pots, but of course I should've folded this time. Also, the reason why I played it like I did was because the SB was a huge donk and I wanted to keep him in the pot. I don't know how I feel about my line, but I really don't feel like thinking about it right now.

No-Limit Hold'em, $1.00 BB (10 handed) - Hold'em Manager Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com
Hero (UTG+1) ($202.85)
UTG+2 ($95.70)
MP1 ($950.76)
MP2 ($93)
MP3 ($20)
CO ($56.10)
Button ($106.80)
SB ($259.85)
BB ($15.35)
UTG ($107.50)

Preflop: Hero is UTG+1 with 4, 4
UTG raises $3.50, Hero calls $3.50, 5 folds, Button calls $3.50, SB calls $3, 1 fold

Flop: ($15) 4, 7, A (4 players)
SB bets $7.50, UTG calls $7.50, Hero calls $7.50, 1 fold

Turn: ($37.50) K (3 players)
SB checks, UTG bets $37.50, Hero calls $37.50, 1 fold

River: ($112.50) 10 (2 players)
UTG bets $59 (All-In), Hero calls $59

Total pot: $230.50
Main pot: $230.50 between Hero and UTG, won by UTG
Results:
UTG had 7, 7 (three of a kind, sevens).
Hero had 4, 4 (three of a kind, fours).
Outcome: UTG won $227.50


Sorry about all of these negative posts lately. I guess it's just how I let my emotions out. I hate complaining on AIM to my friends b/c I hate it when they complain to me, so you guys are just stuck reading a bunch of negative posts this month. Time to make dinner and get my mind off poker, later.

Bye Bye Bankroll

No, I didn't donk it all off at the tables...well not all of it anyway :) I had yet another losing session today and was totally losing my mind, so I chose to withdrawl $7k of my roll, leaving me with $4k and change. I am not playing very well, and I am running horrible, so I think it's safer for me to do this.

I do have a plan though.

I'm going to drop down to 100nl and not move up until my bankroll hits $8k again. Hopefully, as long as I get my act together, this will be by the start of February. Poker is an evolving game, and I need to make sure I'm evolving with it and don't get left behind. Because of this, I'm going to start watching more videos, as I haven't watched one in a few months. I'm also going to start posting more hands and posting feedback on hands, which is something I used to do but got away from. I think there for a while I thought I was the shit and couldn't be touched, and this month is like a punch in the gut reminding me of how tough this game is. You can't just play the game to be successful; you have to constantly study, critique your play, and talk to others about the game. Unfortunately I forgot all of this. I need to do something mentally as well, maybe read The Poker Mindset or whatever that book is called, or start meditating, which Veronica recommended to me anyway. After this downswing I've realized I'm not as mentally stable as I thought I was in terms of tilt affecting my play, so I need to put an end to that somehow.

On another topic, I've finally got the rest of my life in order. By that, I mean I made it back into the gym this week. It's amazing how ridiculously packed the gym is now since everyone is trying to fulfill their New Years resolutions. One of my friends wanted me to train her for her wedding this summer, so we're working out on Monday's and Thursdays. I stepped on the scales on Monday, and I've lost 12 pounds since my peak, which was about a month and a half ago. For those of you who don't know, that's the opposite of what I'm trying to do. I've lost a lot of my strength, but I think it will come back fairly quick. I'm not going to be doing the Mr. Ball State show this year since I'm not attending this semester, but there's a natural bodybuilding show in the fall that I'm going to train for. I forgot how good it feels to workout and feel yourself struggle, and then the morning after how awesome it feels to stretch out the sore muscles. I also forgot how many hot milfs workout at the Y. I was used to working out at the gym on campus and seeing the hot 18 year old freshmen working out in their "JUICY" shorts, but then I walk into the Y and it's flooded with older, more sophisticated looking women with crazy toned bodies that I can just imagine could fuck the shit out of a guy. Hmm, sounds like it's redporn time guys, gotta go :) Haha, j/k I gotta go play basketball in a few. Peace.

Hello Variance, My Name Is Michael

Ok, so I learned my lesson. Don't post a graph and talk shit on the Internet mid-month because Big Brother is watching, just waiting to turn on the DOOMSWITCH. Here I thought I was going to have a sweet month and then boom, just like that I drop $2k like it's nothing. Good thing I'm way overrolled or I'd be going insane right now. If I get KK vs. AA against a villain who's been 3betting my ass off JUST ONE MORE TIME this month I'm going to go off the deep end. Oh, wtf is this shit?

No-Limit Hold'em, $1.00 BB (10 handed) - Hold'em Manager Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com
Hero (SB) ($99)
BB ($94.25)
UTG ($58)
UTG+1 ($71.50)
UTG+2 ($195.70)
MP1 ($95)
MP2 ($150.25)
MP3 ($30.30)
CO ($49.65)
Button ($145.05)

Preflop: Hero is SB with A, K
1 fold, UTG+1 calls $1, 5 folds, Button raises $4.50, Hero raises $15, 2 folds, Button calls $11

Flop: ($33) 8, 10, K (2 players)
Hero bets $18, Button calls $18

Turn: ($69) 6 (2 players)
Hero checks, Button bets $69, Hero calls $65.50 (All-In)

River: ($200) J (2 players, 1 all-in)

Total pot: $200
Main pot: $200 between Hero and Button, won by Button
Results:
Button had 6, 6 (three of a kind, sixes).
Hero had A, K (one pair, Kings).
Outcome: Button won $200.50

Villain in that hand is 16/12, so he's a competent player. Granted, I had 3bet him like 10 times within the 20 minutes I had been playing, but what a horrible way to play 6's, and what a horrible flop to continue with them on.

So I'll post this graph in hopes that everything turns around and I get my ass in gear. I've probably been playing my B game lately, and really need to step it up. If not, I may have to make another rakeback pro post again.

Fuck me I Suck

This last session really blew. When I got home from working out I decided to play some poker. I opened up some tables and there's like 6-7 purple dots at the table (It means they're tighter than Chelsea Clinton), but I said fuck it and hopped on the wait lists anyway. I decided I was just going to play loose as ever since none of these nits were going to play back at me, and my stats ended up being 21/17 w/ 50% attempt to steal. Anyway, at one point I was up $500 but I finished down $160 after 1500 hands. I played so many hands so badly it was actually kind of ridiculous. Here, I'll go ahead and publicly shame myself:

1.) Ya, don't ask. I was repping....well I was repping about exactly what I had. The funny part was I kind of wanted to call on the river.

No-Limit Hold'em, $2.00 BB (8 handed) - Hold'em Manager Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com
Hero (UTG+1) ($272.15)
MP1 ($212.90)
MP2 ($177.70)
CO ($193.40)
Button ($110.70)
SB ($48.65)
BB ($220)
UTG ($108.85)

Preflop: Hero is UTG+1 with 9, 8
1 fold, Hero raises $6, 2 folds, CO calls $6, 3 folds

Flop: ($15) Q, 3, 7 (2 players)
Hero bets $9, CO calls $9

Turn: ($33) Q (2 players)
Hero checks, CO bets $18, Hero raises $52, CO calls $34

River: ($137) 9 (2 players)
Hero checks, CO bets $126.40 (All-In), Hero folds

Total pot: $137
Main pot: $137 returned to CO
Results:
CO didn't show
Outcome: CO won $260.40

2.) How to get max value from QQ....oh wait

No-Limit Hold'em, $2.00 BB (10 handed) - Hold'em Manager Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com
Hero (BB) ($203)
UTG ($103.15)
UTG+1 ($190.10)
UTG+2 ($163.85)
MP1 ($180)
MP2 ($387.20)
MP3 ($115.90)
CO ($96.50)
Button ($256.50)
SB ($117.50)

Preflop: Hero is BB with Q, Q
1 fold, UTG+1 raises $7, 7 folds, Hero calls $5

Flop: ($15) 9, 10, 3 (2 players)
Hero checks, UTG+1 bets $15, Hero calls $15

Turn: ($45) 8 (2 players)
Hero checks, UTG+1 checks

River: ($45) 7 (2 players)
Hero checks, UTG+1 bets $40, Hero calls $40

Total pot: $125
Main pot: $125 between Hero and UTG+1, won by UTG+1
Results:
Hero had Q, Q (one pair, Queens).
UTG+1 had J, J (straight, Jack high).
Outcome: UTG+1 won $122

3.) Obviously he was bluffing on the river, oooookkkkkk maybe not. Wait, what did I beat again?

No-Limit Hold'em, $2.00 BB (10 handed) - Hold'em Manager Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com
Hero (MP2) ($354.35)
MP3 ($290)
CO ($182)
Button ($98.85)
SB ($82.70)
BB ($216.50)
UTG ($194)
UTG+1 ($205.05)
UTG+2 ($260.75)
MP1 ($27.75)

Preflop: Hero is MP2 with 6, 8
2 folds, UTG+2 raises $7, 1 fold, Hero calls $7, 5 folds

Flop: ($17) 8, Q, 4 (2 players)
UTG+2 bets $8, Hero calls $8

Turn: ($33) Q (2 players)
UTG+2 bets $8, Hero calls $8

River: ($49) K (2 players)
UTG+2 bets $20, Hero calls $20

Total pot: $89
Main pot: $89 between Hero and UTG+2, won by UTG+2
Results:
UTG+2 had K, K (full house, Kings over Queens).
Hero had 6, 8 (two pair, Queens and eights).
Outcome: UTG+2 won $86

4.) Obviously this 4/1 nit doesn't have an ace. I didn't know his stats at the time, although I should've since it's over 900 hands, but anyway a random is like never bluffing on the river. Fuck me I suck.

No-Limit Hold'em, $2.00 BB (10 handed) - Hold'em Manager Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com
Hero (MP2) ($261.60)
MP3 ($138.45)
CO ($163.75)
Button ($97)
SB ($94)
BB ($338.19)
UTG ($145.30)
UTG+1 ($37.70)
UTG+2 ($354.75)
MP1 ($118)

Preflop: Hero is MP2 with Q, Q
3 folds, MP1 calls $2, Hero raises $10, 5 folds, MP1 calls $8

Flop: ($23) 4, A, A (2 players)
MP1 checks, Hero checks

Turn: ($23) 5 (2 players)
MP1 bets $23, Hero calls $23

River: ($69) 6 (2 players)
MP1 bets $69, Hero calls $69

Total pot: $207
Main pot: $207 between Hero and MP1, won by MP1
Results:
MP1 had K, A (three of a kind, Aces).
Hero had Q, Q (two pair, Aces and Queens).
Outcome: MP1 won $204

And this is so I stop feeling so bad about today's session, because you know what who cares I'm still raping these bitches.

Thoughts on 2008, Goals for 2009

First off, a recap of 2008, which was a weird year. I began the year thinking I was hot shit after turning pro and having some cool months at .50/1 in late 2007, then all of a sudden the games got harder in January and February. My ego was crushed, I had my first losing month, I traveled to Foxwoods, Damn Ringer said he thought I was overrated (Yeah remember that CR's post you ass, haha), I played PLO for a couple months, gave 6max NLHE and HU a shot, then I went to Vegas. Vegas was a huge spark in the ass to me, and I settled back into my roots as a Full Ring player. I studied my game a ton from July-September and began to see some major improvements. The change of scenery of a new poker site was also very refreshing. I tried moving up to 1/2 at least 4 times throughout the year and was finally successful in the last few months of the year. Then, I started coaching. I like to think I'm a decent coach now, although at first I'm sure I was pretty bad. Basically, 2008 was a year of starting at rock bottom and ending at a huge point in my life that's going to determine how far I go in this game. I had a lot of bankroll problems in 2008 because I was mostly playing .50/1 on a 20 buyin roll and had to withdraw about $3k each month. This made it hard to progress as a run-of-the-mill .50/1 grinder. These last several months after drastically improving my game have helped me build a roll that was once stuck around the $2-3k mark to $12k.

I am actually quite amazed how the year that started out so rocky ended so great. When I sit down at the 1/2 tables now I feel like I am one of the top 3 players at that limit on the site, and that's quite refreshing. At the same time, I am a little disappointed with last year because even though I made way more than I would've working at the sick job I quit, I still did not make near as much as I wanted. A big part of this had to do with my work ethic, or lack there of. This is something I hope to correct in 2009.

I guess this is a good transition into my goals for 2009:

• Make at least $120k
• Play at least 50k hands/month
• Become a reg at 2/4 Full Ring and crush
• Hire a coach and make a successful transition to 6max, HU, or PLO, since that's about all that runs in the MSNL world
• Play a WSOP event
• Win a tournament
• Travel a lot
• Dunk a basketball (I 'm 5'9" and can currently dunk a tennis ball)
• Get certified as a personal trainer (ACSM or ACE) and pursue a part-time job in the field
• Compete in my first bodybuilding show

That pretty much sums it all up. I guess if I could pass along one piece of advice that I learned in 2008, it would be the importance of pscychology in poker. That may not be the best term for what I'm talking about, but here is what I mean. I tried to move up to 1/2 several times when I reached 20-30 buyins for the limit, and psycologically I could not get over the fact that I was playing for so much money. While shot-taking I would check my balance during a session and think "Oh I'm down $600 this blows", but while playing the limit I was comfortable with I would check my balance and think "I'm only down 3 buyins, this isn't so bad." It wasn't until I got comfortable with the limit that I started thinking about sessions in terms of buyins won or lost instead of money. For me, this took a bigger starting bankroll to take the shot with. I feel that playing on a 60 buyin roll has really aided me in my success the past few months. There are other aspects where psychology effects poker too. Other things that are important psychological aspects of poker include not focusing on short term variance, overcoming an ego/learning to table select, and honesty with yourself/self-realization of tilt. I can't touch on these because they're all different for everyone, but once I improved upon all of these areas of focus my winrate started skyrocketing. Anyway, here's to 2009!!!

My First Session of 2009

I was hating life at the start of the session and really felt like crying. Absolutely nothing was going my way; the games were reg filled, I was getting 3bet a lot and cbets raised left and right, I was starting to tilt which means I probably shouldn't have been playing, but I stuck it out. Thankfully I did because what a turnaround it was. I had huge stacks on almost every table which was pretty awesome, including two that were over $1k. Ok, on to some hands...

1.) I think this is the biggest online pot I've won since the Party Poker era, I'm not positive though. It's definitely the biggest online pot I've won at NL200.

No-Limit Hold'em, $2.00 BB (9 handed) - Hold'em Manager Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com
Hero (UTG) ($371.38)
UTG+1 ($363.45)
MP1 ($128)
MP2 ($226.20)
MP3 ($518.66)
CO ($111)
Button ($239.87)
SB ($202.40)
BB ($180.60)

Preflop: Hero is UTG with 7, 7
Hero raises $6, 3 folds, MP3 calls $6, CO calls $6, 1 fold, SB calls $5, BB calls $4

Flop: ($30) 7, 8, 6 (5 players)
SB bets $30, 1 fold, Hero raises $112, MP3 raises $512.66 (All-In), 1 fold, SB calls $166.40 (All-In), Hero calls $253.38 (All-In)

Turn: ($957.16) Q (3 players, 3 all-in)

River: ($957.16) 9 (3 players, 3 all-in)

Total pot: $957.16
Main pot: $619.20 between Hero, MP3 and SB, won by Hero
Side pot 1: $337.96 between Hero and MP3, won by Hero
Results:
SB didn't show [6s, 9c ]
Hero had 7, 7 (three of a kind, sevens).
MP3 didn't show [7c, 8c ]
Outcome: Hero won $954.16

2.) This hand was refreshing. This same guy coolered me w/ a set over set on this table earlier, so it was a great feeling to get my money back.

No-Limit Hold'em, $2.00 BB (10 handed) - Hold'em Manager Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com
Hero (CO) ($457.45)
Button ($76)
SB ($266.57)
BB ($298)
UTG ($321.63)
UTG+1 ($134.15)
UTG+2 ($51.45)
MP1 ($89.70)
MP2 ($67.55)
MP3 ($48)

Preflop: Hero is CO with 3, 3
2 folds, UTG+2 calls $2, 3 folds, Hero calls $2, Button calls $2, 1 fold, BB raises $9, 1 fold, Hero calls $9, 1 fold

Flop: ($27) 2, Q, 3 (2 players)
BB bets $21, Hero calls $21

Turn: ($69) 5 (2 players)
BB bets $44, Hero raises $110, BB raises $222 (All-In), Hero calls $156

River: ($601) 7 (2 players, 1 all-in)

Total pot: $601
Main pot: $601 between Hero and BB, won by Hero
Results:
BB didn't show [Qd, Ah ]
Hero had 3, 3 (three of a kind, threes).
Outcome: Hero won $598

3.) My biggest losing pot of the day. When I raised this good player's cbet I didn't pay attention to how deep we were. I would normally just call and play the pot in position, but since I raised I was like "Well I gotta gambool it up now!" It was nice to not even be drawing dead on the turn even though he had quads. However, the Queen of clubs was nowhere to be found :(

No-Limit Hold'em, $2.00 BB (10 handed) - Hold'em Manager Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com
Hero (Button) ($268.20)
SB ($132.70)
BB ($200)
UTG ($104.45)
UTG+1 ($237)
UTG+2 ($361)
MP1 ($580.35)
MP2 ($214.40)
MP3 ($184.10)
CO ($200)

Preflop: Hero is Button with J, K
3 folds, MP1 raises $8, 3 folds, Hero calls $8, 2 folds

Flop: ($19) A, 10, 4 (2 players)
MP1 bets $13, Hero raises $56, MP1 raises $559.35 (All-In), Hero calls $204.20 (All-In)

Turn: ($539.40) A (2 players, 2 all-in)

River: ($539.40) 6 (2 players, 2 all-in)

Total pot: $539.40
Main pot: $539.40 between Hero and MP1, won by MP1
Results:
Hero had J, K (flush, Ace high).
MP1 had A, A (four of a kind, Aces).
Outcome: MP1 won $848.55


4.) To all you "haters" who think I'm just running good, here's some proof that I'm not.

No-Limit Hold'em, $2.00 BB (9 handed) - Hold'em Manager Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com
Hero (MP2) ($200)
CO ($329.75)
Button ($392)
SB ($372.10)
BB ($241.25)
UTG ($120.65)
UTG+1 ($118)
MP1 ($215.95)

Preflop: Hero is MP2 with Q, Q
2 folds, MP1 raises $7, Hero raises $22, 4 folds, MP1 raises $54, Hero raises $178 (All-In), MP1 calls $139

Flop: ($403) K, 9, A (2 players, 1 all-in)

Turn: ($403) J (2 players, 1 all-in)

River: ($403) 10 (2 players, 1 all-in)

Total pot: $403
Main pot: $403 between Hero and MP1, won by Hero
Results:
MP1 didn't show [Ad, Ah ]
Hero had Q, Q (straight, Ace high).
Outcome: Hero won $400


Haha, ok ok so that suckout was pretty sick. That was actually at the start of my session, then it went totally downhill from there. At least I got a laugh out of the hand before I wanted to slit my wrists from the next 1k hands. They went kind of like this:

No-Limit Hold'em, $2.00 BB (10 handed) - Hold'em Manager Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com
Hero (Button) ($203.35)
SB ($269.30)
BB ($143.05)
UTG+1 ($20.55)
UTG+2 ($118.30)
MP1 ($256.15)
MP2 ($152)
MP3 ($185.10)
CO ($37.25)

Preflop: Hero is Button with A, K
3 folds, MP2 raises $7, 2 folds, Hero raises $24, 2 folds, MP2 calls $17

Flop: ($51) 2, 8, 3 (2 players)
MP2 checks, Hero bets $32, MP2 raises $128 (All-In), Hero calls $96

Turn: ($307) 4 (2 players, 1 all-in)

River: ($307) 9 (2 players, 1 all-in)

Total pot: $307
Main pot: $307 between Hero and MP2, won by MP2
Results:
Hero had A, K (high card, Ace).
MP2 had 4, 8 (two pair, eights and fours).
Outcome: MP2 won $304

I should mention, that brutal breakeven stretch towards the end of the graph (well really I won a buyin but it looks like a straight line), anyway I really wanted to hit the +2k mark. I finally gave up due to hunger. Well I'm off to eat some dinner (at 3AM) and then chill before going to play basketball at 5:30. Later!