Looking for some tickets to go down to Detroit this weekend and cheer for my Penguins. I think that some of the injuries to Detroit players may be the difference vs. last year. Also Malkin will not be playing hurt like I think he was for the first few games of the finals last year. Those things could be the difference as long as Fleury doesn't give up silly goals at the wrong time.
This is going to be fun. Chicago had one hell of a year and I bet that they are going to be much tougher to beat next year in the west.
Lets hope that the recession keeps ticket prices low for us Canadians trying to get to see their first Stanley Cup Final game.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Rolling along
Been a few days since I played online so I got in a good 90 minute session today. Was up over 3 buyins which rocks over 450 hands. The biggest thing that went right was folding big hands against nits which has always been a problem for me.
In this hand antojke looks like a bigger overpair or a set. His stats are 12/11/3.9 (600 hands) so the call of the PFR and then the raise on the flop is a giveaway. His high aggro factor means that this could be a draw but I would be taking a coinflip at best and most likely a big dog. So pitch it away.
This hand is one where I use big hands like 99-AA to reraise squeeze and build big pots while I am most likely ahead. The shortstack calling the $1 raise really disguises my hand. On the flop being OOP I bet 1/2 pot so I don't give away any free cards. Villian in this hand is playing 29/24/6.0 over only 60 hands but I expect him to be super aggro. So the push here will more often just be a move to get me off of a AK or AQ type hand so the call is much easier. I have also committed more of my stack to the pot so I will stack off with overpairs in this situation.
In the past I end up all in each time I have an overpair and not use the data that is sitting in front of me. The only other exciting hand of the day also made me some cash by utilizing my data.
The villian in this hand had played only 65 hands and was showing 27/24/4.0 on his stats. The other stat for him that really stood out to me was that he was 3 betting 18.5% of the time! So I figure he is really using his position and 3 bets to win his cash. So when he reraises me from the button I am not giving him credit for a big hand. That made it so much easier to stack off with ATo there because I think I am ahead of his reraise range a lot of the time. He left the table shortly after this hand which always makes me feel good.
In this hand antojke looks like a bigger overpair or a set. His stats are 12/11/3.9 (600 hands) so the call of the PFR and then the raise on the flop is a giveaway. His high aggro factor means that this could be a draw but I would be taking a coinflip at best and most likely a big dog. So pitch it away.
This hand is one where I use big hands like 99-AA to reraise squeeze and build big pots while I am most likely ahead. The shortstack calling the $1 raise really disguises my hand. On the flop being OOP I bet 1/2 pot so I don't give away any free cards. Villian in this hand is playing 29/24/6.0 over only 60 hands but I expect him to be super aggro. So the push here will more often just be a move to get me off of a AK or AQ type hand so the call is much easier. I have also committed more of my stack to the pot so I will stack off with overpairs in this situation.
In the past I end up all in each time I have an overpair and not use the data that is sitting in front of me. The only other exciting hand of the day also made me some cash by utilizing my data.
The villian in this hand had played only 65 hands and was showing 27/24/4.0 on his stats. The other stat for him that really stood out to me was that he was 3 betting 18.5% of the time! So I figure he is really using his position and 3 bets to win his cash. So when he reraises me from the button I am not giving him credit for a big hand. That made it so much easier to stack off with ATo there because I think I am ahead of his reraise range a lot of the time. He left the table shortly after this hand which always makes me feel good.
Monday, May 25, 2009
Loving Live Cash Games
Just got home after an 8 hour session playing 1/2 NL and it was mostly 6 max due to a lack of players showing up. This was my first time to this location and I have to say that it was the worst group of players that I have ever seen. We had one 80 year old guy at the table that played super tight but really weak. Only had a couple LAGs all night but most of them would give me tons of respect each time that I reraised them with position. Most of them would call a raise with junk and then fold to a cbet so it was an easy way to really build my stack. I tilted a calling station when I told him that I got him to fold when I missed my flush (I really had flopped a set). Very next hand I get KK and on a K high flop I bet and he calls my value bets to the river with 2nd pair.
It was a good +$460 session even after paying a huge rake all evening. They have a big turnout on Tuesday nights but the only problem that I have is that they are quite a haul from where I live. We will see if I can make it out there to continue to pick up some good cash to pay some bills.
On a sad note it doesn't look like I can meet the requirements to get even the bronze iron man status this month. That is dissapointing and hopefully I can easily meet that standard next month.
It was a good +$460 session even after paying a huge rake all evening. They have a big turnout on Tuesday nights but the only problem that I have is that they are quite a haul from where I live. We will see if I can make it out there to continue to pick up some good cash to pay some bills.
On a sad note it doesn't look like I can meet the requirements to get even the bronze iron man status this month. That is dissapointing and hopefully I can easily meet that standard next month.
Friday, May 22, 2009
Astin Nails It like the Penguins!
I was reading Astin's blog and he said the following about Obama the other day:
"Obama's a nice guy... so far, he's a floundering president who increasingly disappoints with his scattershot approach to various issues in the hopes we miss the epic failures that his administration is continuing. Perhaps he needs to hire a few of those dissenting voices he claimed he wanted in his cabinet, instead of morons who spew the same bullshit reasoning and flaccid arguments for their unrealistic policies."
Damn that explains my thoughts for sure about the first 100 days of his term. Now if Barney Frank could ever get his gambling bill out of his sub committee I would look forward to inviting back all the fish!
Good thing the Penguins won last night to keep me happy on that front.
"Obama's a nice guy... so far, he's a floundering president who increasingly disappoints with his scattershot approach to various issues in the hopes we miss the epic failures that his administration is continuing. Perhaps he needs to hire a few of those dissenting voices he claimed he wanted in his cabinet, instead of morons who spew the same bullshit reasoning and flaccid arguments for their unrealistic policies."
Damn that explains my thoughts for sure about the first 100 days of his term. Now if Barney Frank could ever get his gambling bill out of his sub committee I would look forward to inviting back all the fish!
Good thing the Penguins won last night to keep me happy on that front.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Super Aggro
I find that every time I watch some Stoxpoker videos and then start playing that my aggro factor goes up a bunch. This is good in a way since the one time I saw some high level stats they were in line with my post video approach. So the stuff from the videos is sinking in and when I watch I can call out the next play usually before it happens. Those coaches still shock me from time to time with the lines that they use! The only problem I have with the approach is that I end up with a ton of extra variance at the beginning of my sessions (usually negative) which I have to work out of before I can turn a profit.
I will say that this month I am quite dissapointed with the number of hands I am playing as I won't even be able to qualify for silver status for the iron man. The main goal now is to make sure that I get in enough hands to at least get the bronze status and work harder next month.
The "poker" computer needs to get the DVD replaced but it isn't a standard connection... thanks Dell for that shit micro sized tower. So I will have to go to a computer store and get that fixed so I can install my Spanish Rosetta Stone lessons. That will allow me to actually make a trip to South America before I begin to look for a job again.
The NHL playoffs are rolling along perfectly for me except that I was hoping that Chicago would slow down those Wings. Now the Penguins will just have to find a way to finish off Carolina and get rested... all of these days off between games should help out Gonchar get back into some sort of form for the finals. Then we need Osgood to play like shit and Fleury to play like a man possessed... do you feel the fear I have of the Wings? Sort of feels like having QQ on an AK9 monocrome board and you have none of that suit facing 4 maniacs who called your preflop raise!
I will say that this month I am quite dissapointed with the number of hands I am playing as I won't even be able to qualify for silver status for the iron man. The main goal now is to make sure that I get in enough hands to at least get the bronze status and work harder next month.
The "poker" computer needs to get the DVD replaced but it isn't a standard connection... thanks Dell for that shit micro sized tower. So I will have to go to a computer store and get that fixed so I can install my Spanish Rosetta Stone lessons. That will allow me to actually make a trip to South America before I begin to look for a job again.
The NHL playoffs are rolling along perfectly for me except that I was hoping that Chicago would slow down those Wings. Now the Penguins will just have to find a way to finish off Carolina and get rested... all of these days off between games should help out Gonchar get back into some sort of form for the finals. Then we need Osgood to play like shit and Fleury to play like a man possessed... do you feel the fear I have of the Wings? Sort of feels like having QQ on an AK9 monocrome board and you have none of that suit facing 4 maniacs who called your preflop raise!
Saturday, May 09, 2009
Penguins night tonight!
Well been watching a lot of hockey and not playing a lot of poker these last few days. Getting ready to head to the "lucky" bar where I was when the Pens won the last two games. Not sure if Ovechkin got anything for the hit that hurt Gonchar last game but I am sure that a couple guys run him to to even it out. I would prefer if they focused on some of the defensemen as they have a few guys playing hurt.
The good thing is that the Penguins figured out that goalie for the Capitals and now they can run him from the net if they get to him early.
Hoping to get my computer setup correctly tomorrow and then installed in my new office. Then I can take the poker hands up a notch.
I also started to watch the first season of Smallville but so far it isn't a very good show at all. Who knows maybe it will grow on me.
As for Mother's Day I took my mom out today for a nice dinner at Rodney's Osyter House. I always order a bunch of stuff for the table to share which costs a bit but makes sure that everyone gets a lot of food and trys a few new things.
The good thing is that the Penguins figured out that goalie for the Capitals and now they can run him from the net if they get to him early.
Hoping to get my computer setup correctly tomorrow and then installed in my new office. Then I can take the poker hands up a notch.
I also started to watch the first season of Smallville but so far it isn't a very good show at all. Who knows maybe it will grow on me.
As for Mother's Day I took my mom out today for a nice dinner at Rodney's Osyter House. I always order a bunch of stuff for the table to share which costs a bit but makes sure that everyone gets a lot of food and trys a few new things.
Friday, May 08, 2009
Ads and stuff
I find it funny when I go to see how my blog looks and see "One Tree Hill" ads on it. Maybe I have a young sexy look to me that draws that type of crowd!
Yesterday was my first good long session in a while and I managed to stay off of tilt even though the stock market gave me a pounding. Strange to think that I worry so much about so little poker cash but my stock portfolio is giving me much more variance and I rarely flinch.
Well I am way behind in watching my Stoxpoker videos for the NLH beginners series but I expect to do some catchup today and play another 1k hands if all goes well.
Tonight hopefully the Penguins kick it up a notch and crush the Caps and drive that damn rookie goalie from the net. That will give them something to worry for game 5 which would be nice.
Aside from that not much else is going on. Grind away!
Yesterday was my first good long session in a while and I managed to stay off of tilt even though the stock market gave me a pounding. Strange to think that I worry so much about so little poker cash but my stock portfolio is giving me much more variance and I rarely flinch.
Well I am way behind in watching my Stoxpoker videos for the NLH beginners series but I expect to do some catchup today and play another 1k hands if all goes well.
Tonight hopefully the Penguins kick it up a notch and crush the Caps and drive that damn rookie goalie from the net. That will give them something to worry for game 5 which would be nice.
Aside from that not much else is going on. Grind away!
Thursday, May 07, 2009
Go Pens Go!
Well so far this month has been a slow start for me. Been moving to a new place over the last week and not getting in as many hands as I would like. The goal this month is to focus on playing fewer hands but of a much higher quality. So 4 tables max and only with the fish that I am looking for at the correct part of the table.
That has resulted in a 4 BI upswing over very few hands. Nice to run well for a little bit again and get myself motivated to continue to watch the videos and review sessions.
Coaching helps and I never thought I would need so much help with my game but so far so good!
Also seeing my Penguins win last night sure helped my state of mind. The good thing is that I didn't drink so much that my head hurts today. Drinking less at night and getting some sleep are things that will also improve my game.
For those who want to check out some pics of some hot chicks in the best swimwear... check out Wicked Weasel. Another anti-tilt device that I have found. Nice to see women submit their own photos for posting on the site.
That has resulted in a 4 BI upswing over very few hands. Nice to run well for a little bit again and get myself motivated to continue to watch the videos and review sessions.
Coaching helps and I never thought I would need so much help with my game but so far so good!
Also seeing my Penguins win last night sure helped my state of mind. The good thing is that I didn't drink so much that my head hurts today. Drinking less at night and getting some sleep are things that will also improve my game.
For those who want to check out some pics of some hot chicks in the best swimwear... check out Wicked Weasel. Another anti-tilt device that I have found. Nice to see women submit their own photos for posting on the site.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Silver Iron Man status
I think I will be watching and really reviewing my play over the next couple days as I finally got my Iron Man status from FT. It is a shame that it involved one of my worst days playing but proving a few things to myself.
In the end I think that April will be a slight down month in terms of cash but overall it is a huge step forward in my poker thinking. Due to some traveling during these NHL playoffs I missed a few days of watching my NL beginners course videos and I think that many of them would have helped me make money or lose a lot less.
Had another coaching session and I am quite pumped up about following through and getting some review after just a few k hands.
April was also the first month that I have ever played anywhere close to this many hands and I have a new appreciation for those grinders who put in huge hours playing the game.
In the end I think that April will be a slight down month in terms of cash but overall it is a huge step forward in my poker thinking. Due to some traveling during these NHL playoffs I missed a few days of watching my NL beginners course videos and I think that many of them would have helped me make money or lose a lot less.
Had another coaching session and I am quite pumped up about following through and getting some review after just a few k hands.
April was also the first month that I have ever played anywhere close to this many hands and I have a new appreciation for those grinders who put in huge hours playing the game.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Getting eaten alive
So I start to tighten up and make sure that I have my resident fish to my right with a vpip of 45%+... many in the 60+% range... usually they are so passive preflop with maybe a 9-11% raising range.
On the first bunch of AK hands I get today I raise or 3 bet... only to get crushed by A9 or A6. Gotta love that... so my value bets are for their value and not mine. The hand selection chart I am using is getting me to fold more hands so I am playing tighter.
That being said I am a little tilted from last nights live play where I lost $225. Three hands in at this new club and they look a little loose. So when I look down at QQ I figure this could be interesting. Raise to 6 from utg+1 and called by guy to my right (who played every hand and bet every street). I reraise it to 22 and then the sb raises all in to 50. UTG+1 folds but guy to my right calls. I pop it up 75 more as I figure that gives me an auto push on any non A flop. Flop is 234r and buddy donk bets 40 at me. I push all in for 120 and he says he feels that I have a big overpair but he thinks his 6 is going to hit. He calls and sure enough a 6 on the turn.
About two orbits later where I have rebought for 200 and built it up to 325 I get the hand that really tilts me. Pocket 5's and everyone who is going to get involved has very deep stacks. UTG+1 raises to 20 and my buddy calls. I figure that if I flop big I will win a huge pot and I call.
Flop is perfect J J 5. Buddy bets 40 and I smooth call and so does utg+1. Turn is a 10 which could be really bad for me but if someone has J10 I will pay them off. Buddy bets 60 and I call again.
River is a horrible 10 to counterfeit me.... ugly. Buddy bets 100 and I fold....
On the first bunch of AK hands I get today I raise or 3 bet... only to get crushed by A9 or A6. Gotta love that... so my value bets are for their value and not mine. The hand selection chart I am using is getting me to fold more hands so I am playing tighter.
That being said I am a little tilted from last nights live play where I lost $225. Three hands in at this new club and they look a little loose. So when I look down at QQ I figure this could be interesting. Raise to 6 from utg+1 and called by guy to my right (who played every hand and bet every street). I reraise it to 22 and then the sb raises all in to 50. UTG+1 folds but guy to my right calls. I pop it up 75 more as I figure that gives me an auto push on any non A flop. Flop is 234r and buddy donk bets 40 at me. I push all in for 120 and he says he feels that I have a big overpair but he thinks his 6 is going to hit. He calls and sure enough a 6 on the turn.
About two orbits later where I have rebought for 200 and built it up to 325 I get the hand that really tilts me. Pocket 5's and everyone who is going to get involved has very deep stacks. UTG+1 raises to 20 and my buddy calls. I figure that if I flop big I will win a huge pot and I call.
Flop is perfect J J 5. Buddy bets 40 and I smooth call and so does utg+1. Turn is a 10 which could be really bad for me but if someone has J10 I will pay them off. Buddy bets 60 and I call again.
River is a horrible 10 to counterfeit me.... ugly. Buddy bets 100 and I fold....
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Shaking my head
Time to start over with learning a whole new way to play poker... I am totally spewy now and I sat down and got a good coaching session.
So now the goal is to try to play aggro robotic play where I have a set hand starting chart and not deviate from it for 25k hands. Also the goal is to 3 bet 7-8% at nl25 6 max which should get me some good action for my big hands. No need to 4 barrel bluff at this level as anyone who bets back at me at this level has a hand. In addition, I will need to start to leave those nits alone if they play back at me from the blinds. The goal is to table select and beat up the fish and right now I am not focusing enough on them and where they are at the table.
With all that said and done it will be a day or so until I get back into the game after some serious studying.
Tomorrow I am going to drive to Pittsburgh which is about 4.5 hours from my place. The Penguins game better be good because it isn't cheap to go to a game there. If Columbus wins I may drive up to Detroit for Saturday nights game as tickets for that series are cheaper than going to the movies!
Looking forward to coming back with a good frame of mind to start banging through hands again.
So now the goal is to try to play aggro robotic play where I have a set hand starting chart and not deviate from it for 25k hands. Also the goal is to 3 bet 7-8% at nl25 6 max which should get me some good action for my big hands. No need to 4 barrel bluff at this level as anyone who bets back at me at this level has a hand. In addition, I will need to start to leave those nits alone if they play back at me from the blinds. The goal is to table select and beat up the fish and right now I am not focusing enough on them and where they are at the table.
With all that said and done it will be a day or so until I get back into the game after some serious studying.
Tomorrow I am going to drive to Pittsburgh which is about 4.5 hours from my place. The Penguins game better be good because it isn't cheap to go to a game there. If Columbus wins I may drive up to Detroit for Saturday nights game as tickets for that series are cheaper than going to the movies!
Looking forward to coming back with a good frame of mind to start banging through hands again.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Penguins Good - Poker & Drinking Bad
I wish I could have watched the Penguins game tonight but CBC are a bunch of assholes and put on the Canucks game instead. Well it didn't stop me from having a couple pints with the boys but I headed home quite early to hit the virtual felt. Overall I am so glad that the Penguins are heading back with a 3-1 lead because this series can't get over soon enough.
All I can say is that trying to play an aggro style for 6 max after a few beers gets you into a few tough spots. So down about 6 buyins but here were a few awesome hands that hurt a bit.
But tomorrow is a new day. I did finish the $250 bonus on FT so now I am back to tracking rakeback. I think the goal next month is to get to that $500 level so that stoxpoker would be free from thisisthenuts rakeback site.
All I can say is that trying to play an aggro style for 6 max after a few beers gets you into a few tough spots. So down about 6 buyins but here were a few awesome hands that hurt a bit.
But tomorrow is a new day. I did finish the $250 bonus on FT so now I am back to tracking rakeback. I think the goal next month is to get to that $500 level so that stoxpoker would be free from thisisthenuts rakeback site.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Just get Surly!
I wanted to do a shout out to a blog that gives out tons of information to improve your game. The guy is the Surly Poker Gnome and I suggest that for real poker info you get a subscription to his blog.
He searches out and posts great links to podcasts and threads on 2+2 or DeucesCracked and also has great additional insight from a player who has gone up through the ranks.
I took my first crack at NL25 6 max today to get away from donking off more cash at FR trying out new techniques. Got a bit lucky but I was sort of due to hit a few hands!
He searches out and posts great links to podcasts and threads on 2+2 or DeucesCracked and also has great additional insight from a player who has gone up through the ranks.
I took my first crack at NL25 6 max today to get away from donking off more cash at FR trying out new techniques. Got a bit lucky but I was sort of due to hit a few hands!
Tenga Flip Hole - Anti-Tilt Device
Guys out there suffering from tilt should really check out this anti-tilt device made by the geniuses from Japan.
Not only does it help you stay in shape (not that poker players are that out of shape!) but it will get your mental game back to where it should be. Getting coolered.... forget about it and go blow off some steam. The good thing about this is that you don't have to ask it if it wants to do it now... it is always good to go.
And hell maybe if any of the internet geeks ever get laid with a real women this thing will give them some better technique than they currently sport!
Not only does it help you stay in shape (not that poker players are that out of shape!) but it will get your mental game back to where it should be. Getting coolered.... forget about it and go blow off some steam. The good thing about this is that you don't have to ask it if it wants to do it now... it is always good to go.
And hell maybe if any of the internet geeks ever get laid with a real women this thing will give them some better technique than they currently sport!
Running bad
Just having one of those run of sessions where everytime it seems that I put in my stack I am way behind. I guess playing more like a nit pays off at the NL50 levels but I should be able to adapt my play to pick on those nits and take away a lot of small pots.
I just think I am working on too many things at once and instead I should be trying to build the bankroll a bit as well. Luckily the FT bonus is keeping my bankroll above water but I will have to go down stakes if this downswing continues. I think that going down a level is probably the best way to reestablish the ABC poker that built the bankroll in the first place.
The good thing is that I really believe that my ability to play is improving but the results are currently showing a lot of unlucky situations and also mixed with making some moves at the wrong times. If I continue to use better hands and position it will eventually lead to me winning against this opponents.
The 40-50 vpip with 5-20 pfr% seem to give me the most trouble as they love to call light and play a big pot when their junk hits two pair or better. I find that by focusing on 3 betting them with position it should give me good situations to c-bet and take down a few good sized pots without opposition. The hard part comes from the fact that anytime these guys push it could be a bluff or a solid hand... one day I will be able to tell which is which!
So I am off to play another 15k hands and we will see if I can start to get some better results.
I just think I am working on too many things at once and instead I should be trying to build the bankroll a bit as well. Luckily the FT bonus is keeping my bankroll above water but I will have to go down stakes if this downswing continues. I think that going down a level is probably the best way to reestablish the ABC poker that built the bankroll in the first place.
The good thing is that I really believe that my ability to play is improving but the results are currently showing a lot of unlucky situations and also mixed with making some moves at the wrong times. If I continue to use better hands and position it will eventually lead to me winning against this opponents.
The 40-50 vpip with 5-20 pfr% seem to give me the most trouble as they love to call light and play a big pot when their junk hits two pair or better. I find that by focusing on 3 betting them with position it should give me good situations to c-bet and take down a few good sized pots without opposition. The hard part comes from the fact that anytime these guys push it could be a bluff or a solid hand... one day I will be able to tell which is which!
So I am off to play another 15k hands and we will see if I can start to get some better results.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Playing more tables
So I found some great software to make it possible for me to play more tables. Now I can comfortably play 8 tables of NL50 which really helps me improve the number of hands and it makes me a tighter player.
I am using some AHK scripts for FT such as a buddy program and also using Placemint to arrange tables. Also it is easy to setup TheOpener so that once I turn on my machine I can get all my poker programs up and running without a lot of fuss.
Had a good session this morning where I was running just way too hot but my headache from last nights celebration of the Penguins victory was getting in the way. So now I am back to watch a couple poker videos and will get back to the tables for this afternoon's happy hours on FT.
Not sure if I ever put up a link to track my results over at Poker Table Rankings so here it is:
Mungo36's Poker Profits
I am using some AHK scripts for FT such as a buddy program and also using Placemint to arrange tables. Also it is easy to setup TheOpener so that once I turn on my machine I can get all my poker programs up and running without a lot of fuss.
Had a good session this morning where I was running just way too hot but my headache from last nights celebration of the Penguins victory was getting in the way. So now I am back to watch a couple poker videos and will get back to the tables for this afternoon's happy hours on FT.
Not sure if I ever put up a link to track my results over at Poker Table Rankings so here it is:
Mungo36's Poker Profits
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Learning from mistakes
I stepped up and tried an hour at the NL100 level and it is still so beatable. People are so over aggro and others call you to the river that you can value bet for 1/2 stack. That also means that your bluffs don't work as well but that is fine as it will keep me in line.
I think that when I am really into trying to use a few new techniques it would make sense to try them at the lower NL25 level as it would cost less. But then again building the bankroll still seems to happen slowly while I work through the new ideas I watch in the videos.
But tonight I get to go watch the Pittsburgh PenGUINs go kick ass against those nasty Flyers. I hate those throw back orange jersey's that those guys wear. And they better not run Malkin like they did last year as that really ruined any chance that the penguins had of beating Detroit last year.
I also managed to lose about 1k trying to put my short onto US financials which I took off quickly as the market decided to rally today for no real reason... the economic news is going to get worse and not better. Here I am calling for no 2nd half recovery for the US let alone the world in general.
I think that when I am really into trying to use a few new techniques it would make sense to try them at the lower NL25 level as it would cost less. But then again building the bankroll still seems to happen slowly while I work through the new ideas I watch in the videos.
But tonight I get to go watch the Pittsburgh PenGUINs go kick ass against those nasty Flyers. I hate those throw back orange jersey's that those guys wear. And they better not run Malkin like they did last year as that really ruined any chance that the penguins had of beating Detroit last year.
I also managed to lose about 1k trying to put my short onto US financials which I took off quickly as the market decided to rally today for no real reason... the economic news is going to get worse and not better. Here I am calling for no 2nd half recovery for the US let alone the world in general.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Back to Grinding
The only problem with learning a bunch of new things is that you never totally feel comfortable trying something new for the first 50 attempts. Back when I started at CR I felt the same feeling that I am going through now... the only difference is that now I have the time to really try to focus and improve my game.
Started watching a couple of Leatherass9's videos and I am totally impressed. Actually he is quite similar to watch Green Plastic from CR in that they are always betting into their opponent. It sure does add a deal of variance that I just don't think totally grasps the low stakes that we are playing for the long term. When we get 4 bet we are basically up against AA or KK so your JJ hand is quite dominated.
Of course they do introduce a novice player like myself to a few tools to take down a few pots especially against very loose opponents that I have attempted to isolate.
Now if I could just not start a session down a buyin within the first 10-15 mins that would be awesome!
Started watching a couple of Leatherass9's videos and I am totally impressed. Actually he is quite similar to watch Green Plastic from CR in that they are always betting into their opponent. It sure does add a deal of variance that I just don't think totally grasps the low stakes that we are playing for the long term. When we get 4 bet we are basically up against AA or KK so your JJ hand is quite dominated.
Of course they do introduce a novice player like myself to a few tools to take down a few pots especially against very loose opponents that I have attempted to isolate.
Now if I could just not start a session down a buyin within the first 10-15 mins that would be awesome!
Monday, April 13, 2009
Stoxtrader results
It is good to see that when I watch Stoxtrader playing NL25 I feel that I would have played in a similar manner. Then later in the video he showed his results and to think of making over 150k in just over a month playing seems a little insane!
So each day I hope to get through the NL beginner course and at least two other movies while still earning 200 FT points to qualify for an Iron Man status. Just had a super small session this morning because my daughter wanted me to read to her but booked a small win and a much higher EV number. Again it is good to think that people have to suck out against me and I can still have positive results.
So each day I hope to get through the NL beginner course and at least two other movies while still earning 200 FT points to qualify for an Iron Man status. Just had a super small session this morning because my daughter wanted me to read to her but booked a small win and a much higher EV number. Again it is good to think that people have to suck out against me and I can still have positive results.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
EV calc in Hold'em Manager
I will say that the $EV calc in Hold'em Manager is very helpful in controlling tilt. I just finished a long session where I was down slightly on the day but my stats said I should have won about one buyin.
During my review of my session's I am reviewing the EV of the big hands to see that I am not just getting lucky on certain days. It sure helps that rakeback and bonuses give you back some of that lost EV!
Going to take the family to an easter egg hunt today... hopefully everyone has a chance to spend some decent time with family on this Master's weekend.
During my review of my session's I am reviewing the EV of the big hands to see that I am not just getting lucky on certain days. It sure helps that rakeback and bonuses give you back some of that lost EV!
Going to take the family to an easter egg hunt today... hopefully everyone has a chance to spend some decent time with family on this Master's weekend.
Starting the beginner course
Just starting on a 30 day course and I love the starting hand range day 2 course expectation... "it’s recommended that you play a hundred thousand hands or more with a borrowed base range for each position."
Damn I haven't played 100k hands in the last year and just to figure out an ABC hand range they want me to at least play that many hands to learn. This is going to get me to really grind it out and hopefully I can figure out how to play more tables to keep a tighter range from boring me.
Time to get back to the tables.
Damn I haven't played 100k hands in the last year and just to figure out an ABC hand range they want me to at least play that many hands to learn. This is going to get me to really grind it out and hopefully I can figure out how to play more tables to keep a tighter range from boring me.
Time to get back to the tables.
Thursday, April 09, 2009
Stoxpoker and grinding
So I finally got over the 25k Full Tilt points needed to get a 6 month subscription to Stoxpoker . Not sure how long things take when you buy them through the FT store but I hope it isn't too long.
Been running hot until this morning when I started getting a bit too comfortable raising out of position. I also didn't win races but at least I am keeping the tilt down. I think that by playing through the first bout of poor play should help me when I start to study the videos.
Actually I want to edit that I am not tilting! Just ran into KK 2x with smaller overpairs... ouch that hurts.
I hope everyone is going to have a good long weekend.
Been running hot until this morning when I started getting a bit too comfortable raising out of position. I also didn't win races but at least I am keeping the tilt down. I think that by playing through the first bout of poor play should help me when I start to study the videos.
Actually I want to edit that I am not tilting! Just ran into KK 2x with smaller overpairs... ouch that hurts.
I hope everyone is going to have a good long weekend.
Monday, April 06, 2009
Getting setup
It seems every time I try to get my poker stuff in order my life throws me a curve ball. I did manage to get in a few hands today and start to build the bankroll so I can begin to play NL50 again.
In the next month hopefully I will have a new apartment and finally get the home office setup so I can take the poker seriously. In addition I have started trading my portfolio again since I have been in cash since the end of January. The market is starting to give me some opportunities to make some quick cash which I need to fund me until I feel like working again.
I did check out the poker academy on the Full Tilt site and it isn't half bad. Sign up for a challenge and get some points and hopefully they will be worth something some day!
In the next month hopefully I will have a new apartment and finally get the home office setup so I can take the poker seriously. In addition I have started trading my portfolio again since I have been in cash since the end of January. The market is starting to give me some opportunities to make some quick cash which I need to fund me until I feel like working again.
I did check out the poker academy on the Full Tilt site and it isn't half bad. Sign up for a challenge and get some points and hopefully they will be worth something some day!
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Eh-Vegas Time
Looking forward to getting out for some Eh-Vegas action tomorrow night and Saturday... it should be just what I need before heading to Las Vegas on Sunday... Sunday is also my bday so lots of time to celebrate over the next few days.
Been going through a ton of changes on the home front which have kept me from playing but I hope that I can get back on track in two weeks.
Been going through a ton of changes on the home front which have kept me from playing but I hope that I can get back on track in two weeks.
Friday, January 23, 2009
Live poker is rigged
Found a good weekly live game where I have one guy who is going to pay me on a weekly basis I think. Got all in vs. him with Q10 vs. his Q9 on a Q high flop. This guy was willing to stack off with bottom pair against anyone at the table which is why I used this hand to double me up.... instead turn and river both fall with spades and he 4 flushes me.... well that is poker and I will have another shot at him for sure.
Last night I played some drunk poker and managed to win almost two buyins in a couple hours but spent about half of the winnings on the drink!
Oh well at least that should loosen up my image with those guys and next week when I play I will be able to focus a bit more.
My online time really has to increase a ton because I now can only qualify for the bronze level for the iron man and only with me playing almost daily till month end.
Last night I played some drunk poker and managed to win almost two buyins in a couple hours but spent about half of the winnings on the drink!
Oh well at least that should loosen up my image with those guys and next week when I play I will be able to focus a bit more.
My online time really has to increase a ton because I now can only qualify for the bronze level for the iron man and only with me playing almost daily till month end.
Thursday, January 08, 2009
Mookie Night
Played in the Mookie tonight and also got my 100 FT points for the day but wasn't really up to playing much poker today. Lost a little today but I keep running overpairs into sets which really hurts the results.
So just over 9k hands played this month and I am winning at a 7.5 bb / 100 rate which is a bit low for me and HEM agrees with my EV stat about $50 higher than the actual results. I think I have become a bit too passive and I am going to pick up my aggro a bit and hopefully that improves results.
So just over 9k hands played this month and I am winning at a 7.5 bb / 100 rate which is a bit low for me and HEM agrees with my EV stat about $50 higher than the actual results. I think I have become a bit too passive and I am going to pick up my aggro a bit and hopefully that improves results.
Tuesday, January 06, 2009
Grinding
Tried to get 200 FT points on a weeknight and that doesn't seem possible so I guess I will just have to aim for the gold level on FT. I was reading O-Poker's blog tonight and he made some good comments on questions to remember while multi-tabling. The more hands I play this month the more often I find myself in those tricky spots. Sometimes the brain is on and I think my play through and other times my finger starts doing the work for me!
Tomorrow I will hopefully find sometime to put together a hand replay of a few hands from a NL25 war I had with one super LAGtard who finally gets his.
Almost at 15k hands since the comeback but now work really picks up again so we will see how that eats into my playing time.
Tonight I did stop to watch the World Jr. game where Canada crushed the Swedes. Yay!
Tomorrow I will hopefully find sometime to put together a hand replay of a few hands from a NL25 war I had with one super LAGtard who finally gets his.
Almost at 15k hands since the comeback but now work really picks up again so we will see how that eats into my playing time.
Tonight I did stop to watch the World Jr. game where Canada crushed the Swedes. Yay!
Monday, January 05, 2009
Folding to a cbet raise
I was just going through the articles provided with Holdem Manager and the fold to cbet raises was quite interesting. From the article
"When we get raised in this scenario we should play overpairs more conservatively than we would in 3bet pots because you need to be asking yourself what you beat when a solid villain raises you. Consider his range, your image, board texture and don’t be afraid to fold overpairs if you think you’re beaten. If a TAG has called in the blinds we can rule out other overpairs a lot so if he’s raising you on a 359 rainbow board he’s range is heavily weighted towards sets and unless we have reads or notes to suggest otherwise our overpair is probably not good and we should be folding a lot."
So far my stats are still running too hot to compare to anyone playing at higher levels as the win rate continues to be in the 20 bb / 100 range overall but has been much lower over the last 5k hands. Once I get to 20k hands I will post results again and run through the stats analysis as suggested by the HEM articles.
"When we get raised in this scenario we should play overpairs more conservatively than we would in 3bet pots because you need to be asking yourself what you beat when a solid villain raises you. Consider his range, your image, board texture and don’t be afraid to fold overpairs if you think you’re beaten. If a TAG has called in the blinds we can rule out other overpairs a lot so if he’s raising you on a 359 rainbow board he’s range is heavily weighted towards sets and unless we have reads or notes to suggest otherwise our overpair is probably not good and we should be folding a lot."
So far my stats are still running too hot to compare to anyone playing at higher levels as the win rate continues to be in the 20 bb / 100 range overall but has been much lower over the last 5k hands. Once I get to 20k hands I will post results again and run through the stats analysis as suggested by the HEM articles.
Sunday, January 04, 2009
Donk table had me stay up late!
I had a table that ran for almost 4 hours with three players with vpip of 50+... so no sleep until they are broke.... of course those are the types of players that I lose to the most often. My problem is that I see that they suck and I try to hard to go stack them instead of waiting for my chances. Oh well it made for an interesting evening but at least I got back most of my lost cash on this hand.
Robert was running with a 65/3/2 for 260 hands and he ended up positive so whatever works I guess. Lets just say he made my buddy list and I will look him up from now on.
I did take a quick shot at NL50 today as I was feeling a little burned out 6 tabling NL25 and managed to make a bit of cash before heading back to my normal level. I think I will play NL25 until I get to 20-25k hands at that level before moving up. It is also easier to play a level when you aren't worried about your overall stack... unlike the new Waffles technique of playing whatever level he feels like!
Time for bed.
Robert was running with a 65/3/2 for 260 hands and he ended up positive so whatever works I guess. Lets just say he made my buddy list and I will look him up from now on.
I did take a quick shot at NL50 today as I was feeling a little burned out 6 tabling NL25 and managed to make a bit of cash before heading back to my normal level. I think I will play NL25 until I get to 20-25k hands at that level before moving up. It is also easier to play a level when you aren't worried about your overall stack... unlike the new Waffles technique of playing whatever level he feels like!
Time for bed.
Saturday, January 03, 2009
Winning Non-Showdown Hands
Well I wanted to post my first 10k hands of play at NL25... I think rushing to get to that level resulted in some silly pushes with top pair top kicker against what really looked like sets. I know better than to get caught like that but I do it sometimes along with overbetting with overpairs only to get called by better hands.
So here is the graph:
One of the things that HEM has shown me is how few players actually win at non showdown hands. This was shocking to me as it is the stable part of my stream of winnings and if went out the window I would be screwed. My W$SD % is well below 50% for two reasons.... 1. if I have a winning hand I am probably betting too much to get the value bet called on the river by losing hands and 2. because I play from position I get to check down missed draws on hands instead of 3 barreling against loose players.
How am I winning against players without showdown then? I think it comes down to playing from position and betting draws and not over c-betting the flop. I am playing full table running around a 23/17/2 style with a steal % of 36.7% in the above hands and can still get super tight players to want to play back at me. I play my best when I ignore who I am up against outside of betting against their stats. Isolate the guys at the table playing 40%+ vpip and c-bet them and also follow through on the turn when they call. That is how you get that non showdown results heading up instead of down like this guy who is winning at a slightly higher rate over 3.4k hands. He c-bets 75% of the time so I enjoy calling his raises with position and reraising him!
And here is a guy winning at 41 bb / 100 (I am using HEM now so no need to mention ptbb / 100 anymore) and he still can't win at non showdown hands.
I think winning at non showdown has to be core for every player who wants to maximize winning at cash games. If you are losing currently in that stat I would suggest raising the amount you value bet on the river by at least 20%. So if you bet 1/3 of the pot now bet 1/2 or if you want to really aggro a couple guys bet 3/4! I like to make my showdowns with winning hands and bluffs look the same. That way I can also steal a good sized pot when I miss a draw because my 3rd barrel actually has backup to make it seem like a standard line I would take.
Just look at my stats for January... ack... now I gotta find someone to help me get to showdown with a winning hand!
I logged out tonight when top two pair ran into a flopped set, AKs < JJ, and JJ < KK, AJs < set cost me almost 4 buyins... but that is poker and maybe tomorrow is my day to win for a change. Sometimes you have to remember that not everyone bets draws super hard!
So here is the graph:
One of the things that HEM has shown me is how few players actually win at non showdown hands. This was shocking to me as it is the stable part of my stream of winnings and if went out the window I would be screwed. My W$SD % is well below 50% for two reasons.... 1. if I have a winning hand I am probably betting too much to get the value bet called on the river by losing hands and 2. because I play from position I get to check down missed draws on hands instead of 3 barreling against loose players.
How am I winning against players without showdown then? I think it comes down to playing from position and betting draws and not over c-betting the flop. I am playing full table running around a 23/17/2 style with a steal % of 36.7% in the above hands and can still get super tight players to want to play back at me. I play my best when I ignore who I am up against outside of betting against their stats. Isolate the guys at the table playing 40%+ vpip and c-bet them and also follow through on the turn when they call. That is how you get that non showdown results heading up instead of down like this guy who is winning at a slightly higher rate over 3.4k hands. He c-bets 75% of the time so I enjoy calling his raises with position and reraising him!
And here is a guy winning at 41 bb / 100 (I am using HEM now so no need to mention ptbb / 100 anymore) and he still can't win at non showdown hands.
I think winning at non showdown has to be core for every player who wants to maximize winning at cash games. If you are losing currently in that stat I would suggest raising the amount you value bet on the river by at least 20%. So if you bet 1/3 of the pot now bet 1/2 or if you want to really aggro a couple guys bet 3/4! I like to make my showdowns with winning hands and bluffs look the same. That way I can also steal a good sized pot when I miss a draw because my 3rd barrel actually has backup to make it seem like a standard line I would take.
Just look at my stats for January... ack... now I gotta find someone to help me get to showdown with a winning hand!
I logged out tonight when top two pair ran into a flopped set, AKs < JJ, and JJ < KK, AJs < set cost me almost 4 buyins... but that is poker and maybe tomorrow is my day to win for a change. Sometimes you have to remember that not everyone bets draws super hard!
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