So finished third in Stars $109 $50k for $5600 to save the month. Hey I'm actually in the positive! It's a miracle. Definitely took a couple of breaks to get there, but fought I played well in the tourney. I wonder if I was a touch too aggressive three handed actually, since there was an overwhelming chip leader and the dynamics became slightly SNG-like with another two grand for whoever lasted to finished second, and only an additional three for finding a way to overcome the big chip deficit and finishing first. Shoved K8 into 99. I'd post some hands from it but I have a headache right now and that's making me lazy.
But anyway, I'm just glad the month isn't a disaster anymore. Might just be done for the month. It hasn't been a high volume month, partically because of some traveling, and partially just because I was in such a poker funk there for awhile. I'll be happy to turn the page to September.
16 hours 'til the Buckeye opener. Go Bucks.
Friday, August 29, 2008
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Decisions, Not Results
12 tournaments played yesterday, 3 cashes, none of significance=further in the hole. But I have to say, I played a lot better. I felt in rhythm and got my money in while ahead, or in spot where I was destined to be behind. $55 on stars, 1040 in the field, finished 40th when I ran kings into aces. AK into KK in AP 30r. Stuff like that. Ugliest finish of the day was when I got my stack in with a set of 9s on a 9 8 6 board. I bet out, villain shoves and shows...AJ. 7, 10. OK, that one hurt.
But I'm trying to keep a positive mindset. If I continue to play like that I'm going to be profitable. I know I will.
Finding hours to play is going to be a struggle for the rest of the month though, between people visiting and the various times I'm leaving town.
But I'm trying to keep a positive mindset. If I continue to play like that I'm going to be profitable. I know I will.
Finding hours to play is going to be a struggle for the rest of the month though, between people visiting and the various times I'm leaving town.
Monday, August 18, 2008
Back To Work
Took my scheduled three days off, back to work today. Sat down in the $75 3 pm on FT (I'm playing on Tilt because I like losing clearly), flopped a set of 7s, shoved the turn on a K 7 5 4 board into...a mp limper with J6s for a straight draw, flush draw. You can guess the rest lol.
Ah it's good to be back, haha. It's early in the day; I'm keeping my sense of humor.
Anyway, should be a full day. Who knows how much I'll be down for the month by the end of today. See there's that dark humor again. I'm hilarious. I've got 30 Rock running in the background to improve my mood.
I finally bought my new TV! I'm getting it tomorrow. 46" Samsung for $1120ish with the discount my friend got me. Pimp. Nothing feels good while losing money like spending money.
Alright, let's see how this goes.
Ah it's good to be back, haha. It's early in the day; I'm keeping my sense of humor.
Anyway, should be a full day. Who knows how much I'll be down for the month by the end of today. See there's that dark humor again. I'm hilarious. I've got 30 Rock running in the background to improve my mood.
I finally bought my new TV! I'm getting it tomorrow. 46" Samsung for $1120ish with the discount my friend got me. Pimp. Nothing feels good while losing money like spending money.
Alright, let's see how this goes.
Friday, August 15, 2008
Break Time
“I want to get a job as someone who names kitchen appliances. Toaster, refrigerator, blender.... all you do is say what the shit does, and add 'er'. I wanna work for the Kitchen Appliance Naming Institute. Hey, what does that do? It keeps shit fresh. Well, that's a fresher. I'm goin' on break.”
So yeah, I'm goin' on break. I have six cashes this month. Six cashes. That's almost not even possible, given the number of tournaments I've played, which is...well I refuse to count. But it's more than six. Of course if they were really good cashes it wouldn't matter. But they weren't. I had one fourth for a grand, that's it. I also refuse to calculate how much I'm down for the month. So I'm taking the weekend off. I think I'm going to the beach this afternoon to read a book and be outside.
In news that doesn't make me want to vomit in my mouth a little, Comcast finally has Big Ten Network! 15 days 'til the opener. We'll obviously cruise against Youngstown State, but USC-Virginia, Michigan-Utah, Mich. St.-Cal and Illinois-Mizzou will all be interesting for various reasons. Also I looked at the Big Ten Network schedule, and for the next week they'll be showing Ohio State-Illinois from last year, OSU-Wisky from 2003, and OSU-PSU from 2001. So thanks a lot assholes.
But they are replaying App. St.-Michigan. My DVR is set.
So yeah, I'm goin' on break. I have six cashes this month. Six cashes. That's almost not even possible, given the number of tournaments I've played, which is...well I refuse to count. But it's more than six. Of course if they were really good cashes it wouldn't matter. But they weren't. I had one fourth for a grand, that's it. I also refuse to calculate how much I'm down for the month. So I'm taking the weekend off. I think I'm going to the beach this afternoon to read a book and be outside.
In news that doesn't make me want to vomit in my mouth a little, Comcast finally has Big Ten Network! 15 days 'til the opener. We'll obviously cruise against Youngstown State, but USC-Virginia, Michigan-Utah, Mich. St.-Cal and Illinois-Mizzou will all be interesting for various reasons. Also I looked at the Big Ten Network schedule, and for the next week they'll be showing Ohio State-Illinois from last year, OSU-Wisky from 2003, and OSU-PSU from 2001. So thanks a lot assholes.
But they are replaying App. St.-Michigan. My DVR is set.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Tilting, Acceptance of Medicority
Clearly I've been neglecting this blog; I haven't posted anything since my wrap that comes at the first of the every month.
Partially this has been due to neglect of my poker game in general, since I went out four nights last week in my attempt to be a mini-alcoholic. Also it's just a lot easier to write this entries when things are going well compared to when things are going poorly. When I can title an entry "Ship *****", writing the entry is a lot more fun.
But it occurs to me that writing entries like this one is part of why I started this thing in the first place: so that I could write through the bad times rather than the good. So here goes.
At the moment I'm down about 2 grand for the month. That's becoming a familiar position. Last month, after shipping the UB 3or, I recovered quite well, and then gave a good deal of it back before the close of the month. That slide has continued into August.
Of course, all of these things are cyclical, and I'm trying to be less concerned with results and more concerned with making good decisions. The problem is that I haven't been particularly good at that lately. I've made some 3 bets lately based on some reads that were absolutely terrible, and if I was listening to the voice in the back of my head when I made them, I sort of knew they were terrible. I've just been pressing and let that get to me.
I've actually felt my game tighten up recently, and think that has worked pretty well when I've implemented that strategy. There was a time where you could just run over tables by being the most aggressive. Now it feels like everyone plays aggressive, though to varying degrees according to the sites. I remember donking around with my friend Randy and watching him play a big field 10r, and he was just playing practically every hand and steamrolling. I remember just sitting there and thinking "Oh my god, I need to be playing much more aggressively." And for awhile I did that, but players adjusted to me, and players adjusted in general. Finding the correct degree of aggressiveness is difficult, but I think my current game is working better when I play a bit more solidly. The other benefit is that if you play tight you can play off that image, giving yourself resteal opportunities that are situation-based rather than card-based that you could never pull off playing like a LAGGY maniac.
My real problem, as I said, is when I've stepped out from that solid play and pressed. I've been pressing a decent amount. It's hardly ever worked. Combine some life tilt with some poker tilt in a wonderfully mutual recipricating relationship (sarcasm on), and it hasn't gone well.
I'm sure I've written about this before, but part of this is just a battle in my mind for how good a poker player I want to be. This isn't a silly question, though obviously on the surface I want to be the "best poker player I can be." But that doesn't really answer the question. Becoming great at something requires sacrifice, and sacrifice isn't really my strength.
I was always very gifted at math. Through elementary school and middle school, I cruised through my math classes with virtually no effort. In high school, my classes took a little more effort, but I was still able to get by, until I reached calculus. I took calculus my junior year, and I didn't get it. I fundamentally didn't understand the concepts being taught, so whenever I had to prove anything, I was totally lost. The real problem wasn't I couldn't "change gears" so to speak and get myself to try a lot harder. I was used to it coming easy, so I just got frustrated and angry. The end result was not good for my grade in calculus.
I almost feel like my poker "life" has taken a similar path. When I first started playing, everything came pretty easy. I deposited $30 and built it up into a bankroll relatively quickly. Not to be arrogant, but I'm fairly bright, so I understood and was fairly good at the mental skills that came with analyzing hands. I also had a good math sense when that was required. And to this point, I've coasted on my natural abilities really. Not that I haven't worked to improve my game. I have. It's just that haven't had to dig in and improve or face total failure. I could succeed without committing to my self absolutely.
But just like at math, I may have reached the limit of how far I can go. I am a naturally good poker player. I am not a naturally great poker player. If I want to take my game to the next level, to play with the truly best players at a consistent level, I'm going to have to work harder. A lot harder. At this moment, I'm not sure if that's a sacrifice I'm willing to make. I don't have to, to be fair. I've proven I can at least survive on my abilities as they are. But if I'm going to do this for a prolonged period of time, will that be enough? Or will I want to move on and do something else? I truly don't know the answers to those questions.
In other news, the Horseshoe has opened up in Indiana. I'll try and get over there in this week or the next.
Partially this has been due to neglect of my poker game in general, since I went out four nights last week in my attempt to be a mini-alcoholic. Also it's just a lot easier to write this entries when things are going well compared to when things are going poorly. When I can title an entry "Ship *****", writing the entry is a lot more fun.
But it occurs to me that writing entries like this one is part of why I started this thing in the first place: so that I could write through the bad times rather than the good. So here goes.
At the moment I'm down about 2 grand for the month. That's becoming a familiar position. Last month, after shipping the UB 3or, I recovered quite well, and then gave a good deal of it back before the close of the month. That slide has continued into August.
Of course, all of these things are cyclical, and I'm trying to be less concerned with results and more concerned with making good decisions. The problem is that I haven't been particularly good at that lately. I've made some 3 bets lately based on some reads that were absolutely terrible, and if I was listening to the voice in the back of my head when I made them, I sort of knew they were terrible. I've just been pressing and let that get to me.
I've actually felt my game tighten up recently, and think that has worked pretty well when I've implemented that strategy. There was a time where you could just run over tables by being the most aggressive. Now it feels like everyone plays aggressive, though to varying degrees according to the sites. I remember donking around with my friend Randy and watching him play a big field 10r, and he was just playing practically every hand and steamrolling. I remember just sitting there and thinking "Oh my god, I need to be playing much more aggressively." And for awhile I did that, but players adjusted to me, and players adjusted in general. Finding the correct degree of aggressiveness is difficult, but I think my current game is working better when I play a bit more solidly. The other benefit is that if you play tight you can play off that image, giving yourself resteal opportunities that are situation-based rather than card-based that you could never pull off playing like a LAGGY maniac.
My real problem, as I said, is when I've stepped out from that solid play and pressed. I've been pressing a decent amount. It's hardly ever worked. Combine some life tilt with some poker tilt in a wonderfully mutual recipricating relationship (sarcasm on), and it hasn't gone well.
I'm sure I've written about this before, but part of this is just a battle in my mind for how good a poker player I want to be. This isn't a silly question, though obviously on the surface I want to be the "best poker player I can be." But that doesn't really answer the question. Becoming great at something requires sacrifice, and sacrifice isn't really my strength.
I was always very gifted at math. Through elementary school and middle school, I cruised through my math classes with virtually no effort. In high school, my classes took a little more effort, but I was still able to get by, until I reached calculus. I took calculus my junior year, and I didn't get it. I fundamentally didn't understand the concepts being taught, so whenever I had to prove anything, I was totally lost. The real problem wasn't I couldn't "change gears" so to speak and get myself to try a lot harder. I was used to it coming easy, so I just got frustrated and angry. The end result was not good for my grade in calculus.
I almost feel like my poker "life" has taken a similar path. When I first started playing, everything came pretty easy. I deposited $30 and built it up into a bankroll relatively quickly. Not to be arrogant, but I'm fairly bright, so I understood and was fairly good at the mental skills that came with analyzing hands. I also had a good math sense when that was required. And to this point, I've coasted on my natural abilities really. Not that I haven't worked to improve my game. I have. It's just that haven't had to dig in and improve or face total failure. I could succeed without committing to my self absolutely.
But just like at math, I may have reached the limit of how far I can go. I am a naturally good poker player. I am not a naturally great poker player. If I want to take my game to the next level, to play with the truly best players at a consistent level, I'm going to have to work harder. A lot harder. At this moment, I'm not sure if that's a sacrifice I'm willing to make. I don't have to, to be fair. I've proven I can at least survive on my abilities as they are. But if I'm going to do this for a prolonged period of time, will that be enough? Or will I want to move on and do something else? I truly don't know the answers to those questions.
In other news, the Horseshoe has opened up in Indiana. I'll try and get over there in this week or the next.
Friday, August 1, 2008
July Wrap
Ugh.
July: +$1998
Year to date: $57,531
Worst month of the year. Nothing good to say. Didn't run well, and at times just didn't play well.
It's alright though. I'm feeling a big month in August, I'm well overdue for a deep run in a big tourney.
July: +$1998
Year to date: $57,531
Worst month of the year. Nothing good to say. Didn't run well, and at times just didn't play well.
It's alright though. I'm feeling a big month in August, I'm well overdue for a deep run in a big tourney.
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