Recent Online Poker Log Blog Entries
January 9, 2008, 7PM:
Full Tilt Poker
So, after a few bad showings last week I stepped back from poker for a few days to think about my game. For a long time I played really loose at the tables (read: badly) then I started to tighten up and noticed some good returns. This strategy served me well in tournaments for awhile but I was finding that there were far too many nights where I just wouldn't get any good hole cards which would lead to me getting blinded out or playing too loose when I finally did get to play. Just gotta start finding that happy medium when I'm in tournaments I guess.
After a lot of research, I have finally decided that I am going to do some playing over at Full Tilt Poker. From what every single review I've read says, the competition there is a little tougher which I think will be a great way to improve my game. If I'm playing against good/tight players constantly plus playing my regular tournaments and S&G's plus watching pros play (always wanted to watch Mike Matusow play... don't particularly care for his style of play, but he's still slightly entertaining) I should see at least SOME improvement in my own play.
right?
Last Update: January 9, 2008, 7:40PM | Permalink (0 Comments)
January 8, 2008, 3PM: Played 1 hour, 53 minutes, Lost $362.40 at full tilt
$0.50 Pot-Limit Omaha
 well yesterday I had chalked up to being tired...today I think I was little eager to get back what I lost and got involved in a few pots I didn't have any business being in. I really don't think I played horrible, I just never drug a pot with any chips in it and I was calling a few bigger raises hoping to catch someone with a big hand not willing to let it go. I had a couple hands with set flush draw vs a made straight and could find anything but bricks. it's pretty frustrating to make money all week then have this happen in 2 sessions. got a little bit left to try and comeback with. sigh again!
Last Update: January 8, 2008, 3:50PM | Permalink (0 Comments)
January 8, 2008, 12AM: Played 3 hours, Made $200.00 at Horseshoe
$3 No-Limit Texas Hold'em
This was quite a session. Had to make a big laydown when I flopped trip tens with T9 suited, someone was AI and another guy was betting it down. I lost a hundred on the hand before I folded on the turn and it turned out to be a good laydown as he had JT. Flopped a set of queens and had a crazy donkey double me up with 22 on a board of Q976. Turned another set of queens against JJ on a 992 board, he was a shortie with about 100 bucks so I stacked him.
Two huge hands against the 22 donk happened. One hand he limped then bet the flop of QJ2 with 2 diamonds. He bet ten, got two callers who I knew didn't have queens because they'd have raised him. I raised to 50 he called, they folded. Turn and river were 7 and 8 and I bet 80 on the turn because I thought I was way ahead and there were 3 diamonds and straight draws. He called, then bet 75 when I checked the river. I made a reluctant call and saw AQ. Then I flopped trips with K2 on an 822 flop from the SB. I checked then called a bet and a raise. I led the turn and he called, then I value bet 90 on the river and got another call.
Last Update: January 8, 2008, 8:16AM | Permalink (0 Comments)
January 8, 2008, 5AM: Played 2 hours, 55 minutes, Lost $324.40 at full tilt
$0.50 Pot-Limit Omaha
guess I knew this session was coming and at least I didn't tork it all off. I wasn't pissed, I was just really tired and should've quit early which would've been good since I was up 60 for a while. then the beats started coming. AA vs. QQ flop A Q 3, turn Q. 2nd time that exact scenerio happened to me lately. another hand that killed me was the old nut flush on the flop vs. straight flush, that one stung pretty bad. then I took middle set vs. top 2 and he catches the 2 outer. it was all bad. at least there is still some money on here...sigh
Last Update: January 8, 2008, 5:20AM | Permalink (0 Comments)
January 7, 2008, 9PM:
Poker Stars Atlantis Bahamas
 Day 2 I guess. I'm not in the tournament area at all because I know what I am doing, so they stick me in high limit cash games. Mostly the 50-100 NLH which turns into a 50-100-200 game and the 10-25 or 25-50 PLO, all of which are fun to deal as I never image sitting in one of these games.
This limit is very entertaining as most these guys have nice sized rolls and are chatty little fuckers. Talking about anything from poker, golf, women etc.
The main event is down to about 200 players or so but whatever.
For those of you who play on stars, I recommend winning a seat sometime soon and coming here. There are many well knowns and pros and they are much more friendly then when they are in Las Vegas ;)
Last Update: January 7, 2008, 9:12PM | Permalink (0 Comments)
January 3, 2008, 10PM: Played 3 hours, Made $205.00 at Pheonix
$3 No-Limit Texas Hold'em
Yahoo!! Broke the streak! I wanted to just go and play for a little while, break the losing streak and bounce. That's sort of what I did. I went into my sort of spiral drain like feeling of "oh shit, i'm losing, i can't afford to lose, i'm making mistakes, i'm going to lose what's in front of me, maybe more... etc" and got worried. That's how I've felt the last few times I played.
I started talking to a nice guy next to me and kind of got caught up in conversation, and didn't have the thought energy to stress about my play, or worry about my money. When I stopped trying to do what I'm told in books, I stopped trying to play ... all i can think of is how i'm told in books. F the books. I just relaxed and started playing my game again. I was in for 2 $200 buy ins, and after doubling up my second i was down to about $250 again. I relaxed, played my game, and won some dough, then left when I promised myself I would, even though I felt like I had a great grasp on the table. I'm happy.
Last Update: January 6, 2008, 11:58PM | Permalink (0 Comments)
January 6, 2008, 11PM: Played 3 hours, Made $190.00 at Mardi Gras Casino
$2 No-Limit Texas Hold'em
 40 dollar max buy in table. NL with 300 pot-cap.
This was my first live table of this format. I don't normally enjoy NL holdem, but with everyone starting out with the same, it's easier for me to build a stack without having to risk a ton of chips early.
Made some great reads. Called some large bets with middle pair since the maniac alcoholic lady was ramming. She was on the draw and Ic alled her bluff on the river for a nice pot. Another hand, I have AQ and raise preflop with some callers. Flop comes 848 rainbow. I checkraise the button and the button calls. Turn is a king and I fire out. He mucks qq. Felt good to run a bluff through
Last Update: January 6, 2008, 11:46PM | Permalink (0 Comments)
January 6, 2008, 11PM:
Poker Stars Atlantis Bahamas
Day 1B was today, I did not get to post about day 1 so I will give a brief summary.
Day 1A
The room was full with internet donks, pros, young kids etc. Not much to say other than they are poker and internet junkies. It is amazing how much they let this become their life. We all love poker though but you need a healthy balance.
In the lobby there are about 10 guys playing 4 games each online with their laptops, the other lobby there are about 30 more ;)
Back to day 1A, not much, the play was pretty interesting to see from a dealers point of view. I learned something new that may help some of us with our tournament poker play. It is called "leverage" and "fold equity". It means, unlike we are trained, to (when you have a big stack) to attack and seek out battles with other big stacks. The concept is this. Since the big stack wants to avoid another big stack that if you re-raise or put pressure on a big stack they are more likely to fold or not be contfrontational with you and give up the hand, hence, "fold equity".
Day 1B, not much to say, I was dealing the cash games. Highlight is the 50/100 NLH game. A friend was in the game I had not seen in a bit. He apperntly knocked off a WSOP event, a Bellagio event and plaed around 90th in the Main Event. Lucky guy.
Last Update: January 6, 2008, 11:24PM | Permalink (1 Comment)
January 6, 2008, 4PM: Played 2 hours, 8 minutes, Made $54.85 at full tilt
$0.50 Pot-Limit Omaha
this is the session that could've been massive, but I ran bad in 2 key pots. the first one, there is this donkey I have been watching and he cannot lay down AA, so I trapped him once with it when I flopped nut straight and he called me down. later I have KK double suited I pot it to 2 bucks or something, he makes it 8, I call. flop is K 8 9...there is another player as well...he pots it, I go all in he calls...he has AAQ7, drawing pretty dead and the other guy had 88 something so I am WAY ahead...the A spikes the turn and costs me like 120. another pot I have the total wrap in...AKQ9 around J T 7 flop and I have 2 other people with big stacks get in there with me and it comes running 4 3 to brick me out. I win those two and this is probably 300+.
Last Update: January 6, 2008, 4:19PM | Permalink (0 Comments)
January 6, 2008, 6PM: at Stars, Full Tilt, Absolute, Cake, etc.
$1/2 Texas Hold'em
 Warning: Long Post (comments welcome)
Well after a very long time not posting, I figured I would throw out an update. It is really a brag, so take it as that. After graduation and getting married - money was pressed. I had busted my UB account, but luckily I had a shitty rakeback deal that was paying me about 3 weeks late each month. I think I had something like $50 bucks in there, so I decided to do something completely out of character and play .05/.10NL. I played around 15K hands at that limit at UB running around 10ptbb/100.
A lot of times you hear people say that lower limits are unbeatable. I totally disagree. Both $10NL and $25NL were very easy. It was a grind and not very fun - but it wasn't difficult or impossible. Winning at those stakes involves playing a lot of hands in position. Cutting down on raising marginal hands and learning to value bet without bluffing hardly ever will easily allow a decent player to win at these levels.
After I reached a bit over $500 I began to take some shots at $50NL. I won a few buy-ins almost immediately and decided to take a couple buy-in shot up at $100NL. Fortunately for me, this shot went very well. I almost immediately went on a 10BI upswing when I took the shot and the level just stuck. In fact, I don't think I ever had any sort of substantial (3-4 buyins) downswing at $100NL.
Once I started taking shots at 1/2NL though, things were not as smooth. I remember my first shot was a 6.5 buying downswing. That hurt and it took a long while to break out of that. Then finally, last month I made the move up to $200NL permanently and have been taking shots at the higher games if I see a really soft spot.
Right now, I have a booked a couple 4 figure days in a row and the BR is looking pretty healthy. Right now, I decided to take a little change of pace and enter the Sunday Million on Poker Stars. My wife is not currently able to be stationed with me at the same spot - so I have had a lot of time to play poker when I am not working. I will try to post some graphs when I get a chance.
As for right now and what I am focusing on in my game - there is so much. It seems like no matter how much I play, I keep learning more and more. Mostly, I get a lot better feeling for the types of plays people make and for the first time in a long time, I have actually begun to be able to make some very carefully planned moves and bluffs. One thing that I have really enjoyed is the deep stacked 200bb games on Absolute Poker. It is really a totally different game. Plus, I don't think the regs there are nearly as strong as the ones on PStars.
Anyways, that is probably enough right now. Hopefully this motivates somebody to do better than they are right now. Trust me, if I can go from playing high stakes live cash games to .05/.1 NL micro stakes, anyone can do it.
Last Update: January 6, 2008, 3:06PM | Permalink (0 Comments)
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