Tuesday, August 15, 2006

Loving the game

Ok, so I played like heck last night. Beat myself up a little. And then a post on CP kind of woke me up a little. Not so much the question but how I answered.

"For those of you on this site that play online poker as a profession or as a sure way to get money, what would u change if you were 16 agian? What I'm getting at is what would you have done to help you game so come time when ur 18 your ready to go? I feel like I'm starting relatively early and I have 2 years before I go play live and start depositing my own money online.


Right now I just rented a couple books from the library: Shuffle up and Deal. Harrington on holdem vol 2. Hold'em Poker by david sklansky and mason malmuth Annie Dukes bok

Kind of a stupid question to ask but you guys dont no me so i feel free to type anything. You can look forward to a lot more of these amaturic posts by me.

Any input would be swell, thanks"

Here is my answer.

"Have fun with your math and psychology classes. Knowing the math and the psychology is very important if you would like to go far.
Most import thing of all is remember, you are young and to have a blast doing something you love. If you don't love the game, all the bright lights won't mean squat. If you don't love the game it won't help you to work through busting your bankroll for the 20th time. If you don't love the game, why bother."

Winning is great. Playing like hell suck but the bottom line is I love the game. I play great one day and like heck the other. My consistancy is not good at this point. Bottom line is I love the game and hope I never stop learning about it and never lose that love of the game.

Saturday, August 12, 2006

Yeah Baby, build it up!

Ok, tried babying it up. Doing better at that but ran into a small snag. My last day of my $50+$4 tournamant ticket at Pokerroom. Couldn't find any larger MTT tourney with it today so put it in a SitnGo. First SitnGo at this level. When I had a good bankroll used to play mostly $10s with some $20s thrown in. Well, my feeble bankroll at that site just bumped from $64 to $214 as I took down 2nd.
Played tight as heck as I just tried to figure out who was playing how. Ended up making a bit here and there with some hands and bumping out a short stack with KK vs. a-5. Ended up with a big stack on both sides of me. But worked it down to four without too many worries. At four the guy to the right of me drifted off which he had done at times but this time he didn't hop back on right after his time expired. Both me and the player to my left hit on the small stack and the big player got most of the bbs of the player to my left. Finally the small went in utg with k-q and the big stack woke up to aces. Done and done.
Had trouble towards the end because with the #3 guy sitting out and the big stack kept putting in monster raises and I had nothing to play back at him with. Didn't want to cost myself $50 because some asshole sat out and I tried to take first with a marginal hand.
The three guy came back for a hand or two but I put him down with queens vs. a5. Was too short stacked for any miracle comeback as I took 2nd.
Over all I felt pretty satisfied with my play and just wish that the guy hadn't sat out. That really put me in a terrible position with the big stack. I might have taken third because of it but it would have given me a better chance to take first.

Friday, August 11, 2006

Smile or else.

I believe in poker the way I believe in the American Dream. Poker is good for you. It enriches the soul, sharpens the intellect, heals the spirit, and - when played well, nourishes the wallet. ~Lou Krieger
*problem with double post*

Back to the game and building the stack back.

Played some pretty decent poker today at the kiddie tables. Just trying to rebuild a bankroll and get some confidence back. Starting to get used to working with poker office to make better decisions. Had a few small suckouts and setbacks but here is the key hands.

Been playing my usual TAG the two seat to my left throwing some chips around and drawing out a lot. The original better in this pot had already sucked out on me twice. Nice little payback.

PokerStars Game #5879672724: Hold'em No Limit ($0.05/$0.10) - 2006/08/11 - 16:49:19 (ET)
Table 'Sigune' 9-max Seat #8 is the button
Seat 1: btoo ($16.05 in chips)
Seat 2: SnakeFortune ($13.50 in chips)
Seat 3: falwic ($3.15 in chips)
Seat 4: Ezarc ($13.65 in chips)
Seat 5: jakechelsea ($18.20 in chips)
Seat 6: Kobern ($23.50 in chips)
Seat 7: Mister206 ($14.25 in chips)
Seat 8: Inesiite ($5 in chips)
Seat 9: NluvsS ($2.70 in chips)
NluvsS: posts small blind $0.05
btoo: posts big blind $0.10
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to Ezarc [8s 8d]
SnakeFortune: calls $0.10
falwic: folds
Ezarc: calls $0.10 *hit my set or fold situation*
jakechelsea: calls $0.10
Kobern: calls $0.10
Mister206: folds
Inesiite: folds
NluvsS: folds
btoo: checks
*** FLOP *** [Td 8c Kc]
btoo: checks
SnakeFortune: bets $0.30
Ezarc: calls $0.30 *smoothcall to see if anyonce behind will raise to iso, if not I will see what the turn has*l
jakechelsea: calls $0.30
Kobern: calls $0.30
btoo: folds
*** TURN *** [Td 8c Kc] [5d] *Sweet turn, so digging this*
SnakeFortune: bets $0.10
Ezarc: calls $0.10 *see if I can't induce the big stacks to make a move*
jakechelsea: raises $2.90 to $3 *:banger: *
Kobern: folds
SnakeFortune: folds
Ezarc: raises $3.50 to $6.50 *Ok, time to build a pot*
jakechelsea: calls $3.50
*** RIVER *** [Td 8c Kc 5d] [Tc]*ok, the ten of clubs is a double edged sword here. K-10 made a better full but with the clubs on the flop and the straight draws, he would have moved more on the flop. Clubs is a great thing.*
Ezarc: bets $5.70
jakechelsea: raises $5.60 to $11.30 and is all-in *I am pretty sure that it is a club flush here*
Ezarc: calls $1.05 and is all-in
*** SHOW DOWN ***
jakechelsea: shows [9c Qc] (a flush, King high)
Ezarc: shows [8s 8d] (a full house, Eights full of Tens)
Ezarc collected $27 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot $28.35 | Rake $1.35
Board [Td 8c Kc 5d Tc]
Seat 1: btoo (big blind) folded on the Flop
Seat 2: SnakeFortune folded on the Turn
Seat 3: falwic folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 4: Ezarc showed [8s 8d] and won ($27) with a full house, Eights full of Tens
Seat 5: jakechelsea showed [9c Qc] and lost with a flush, King high
Seat 6: Kobern folded on the Turn
Seat 7: Mister206 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 8: Inesiite (button) folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 9: NluvsS (small blind) folded before Flop

Tuesday, August 08, 2006

iMix

Enjoying the video games, made up an iMix, and still have a few days to enjoy before I have to use up the tournament tickets I won. Should have time for another day off from playing before rereading Harrington on Hold'em.

Yup, it is time

Time for some time off. This is insane. Just up and down poker with insane beats killing me every time I start a run.
Think I am going to play some video games and kill some things for a few.
Take Care and Bless.

Thursday, August 03, 2006

I miss bigger limits.

I know I posted this elsewhere but I need the double vent for this one.
Ok, playing in a $5 MTT and am able to get up double and then a little within the first 2 levels. Not too dang rare.
Well here is some of the crap that hits on level three 25-50. I have been playing tight agressive and only been showing down solid hands. UTG is a loose player and bumps it up to 150, I am in mid and look down on JJ. I Bump it up to 750 and the button, another loose player, calls. The UTG moves in for all his chips. I have only to call about 700 more to call him , so I just smooth call hoping that the button will either melt away or give me a side pot if the UTG actually has a hand. Well, the button just calls as well.
Flop is a wonder full rainbow of low garbage. I have about 1700 left and drop it in. Ok, I understand that it is only 1700 to get in on the pot that will end up at 7900 or so but the donkey button calls it off with AJ unsuited. The UTG had AJ unsuited as well. No jacks left but only two aces as well. The turn pairs the 4 on the board and the river is an ace.
Now I don't know about you, but since when did AJ unsuited become a farging monster hand? I would like to know what either of these freaking morons was thinking? Ugh, I miss playing at higher limits.
Next time I go donkey hunting I am bringing a gun.
*Cleansing breath* Ok, I feel better now.

Tuesday, August 01, 2006

Thought for the moment.

Ok, so I am in rough shape on my play lately. Can't seem to do what I need to do. My reads are not as sharp, not laying down when I should at times, and in general not playing solid poker. So, I am not playing as much and just trying out a few things when I do play rather then playing to win as much. Enjoying my play and seeing some interesting things happen time and time again.
Observations that make you go Hmmmmmmmm:
1) Donkeys don't believe in odds. Chase as the feel lucky.
2) Donkeys call to the river with top pair and weak kicker.
3) Don't pay attention to table image and just play what they feel like.
4) Position is rarely considered.
5) Coinflips are always worth calling.

More little thoughts. Thinking of trying the Chris Ferguson buildup project. See if I can make a bankroll just off of freerolls and then go from there. Empire has a bunch of freerolls and I am wondering if I could actually pull that off. Hmmm. Just a thought that has been playing in my head.