Tough Day-very hard to get anything going

Early Tuesday morning and I decided to play the morning sked of tourneys. Usually populated by Russians and other Euros, it is definitely the easier way to make money. The downside to the weaker players is the volatility of the action. Very often I can find myself with either 200bbs or out of the tournament in the first two hours (my style usually waits for better spots to get the money in and I almost always make it through the first two hours of tournaments). 

Today was a crapshoot like no other. In one, I was up to 250bbs in the first hour. Lost two races and an 80-20 and I was out. In a qualifier for the Sunday brawl I ran into a guy that pot raised called a 50bb allin with 97o headsup for the ticket. Second was $80 but this guy was so happy to get his money in no matter what spot, he was obviously happy to see he was up against my 66. Why shove with 50bbs and 66? Well he had raise-called several all-ins in similar spots with any ace and being down 2-1 in chips I needed a double. Maybe if I had know he would have called there I would have waited. Ohwell. 

It has been 7 sessions since a win and can get frustrating. The good part about it is that I have been able to maintain small loses in my losing sessions and have gone down very slowly while the jumps usually pretty decent. 

I know I have been playing well, I am just waiting to get to that spot deep where I can win a race to make the final table and take something down. Things are getting dry around here and I'm hoping for something to happen this week. 

I am positive it will. I am playing all the weaker players and getting in great spots. In the $11 cubed I was in a sick double up spot for 3rd in chips heading to the money. 

With a short all-in and a good stack for it. I flatted the button. The sb came along and I just called his flop bet and raised all-in on the turn.

It wasn't to be. A dirty river and I went busto. I went out quite quickly from the other two I was in and am almost relieved to be done. 

I know the one-outers will come back to me. They always do. I would just prefer to hit my one-outer when deep in a tournament for a huge pot as opposed to early in the $3rebuy for a small pot.

I AM GOING TO GET DEEP THIS WEEK__

Oh Boy. I Eat, Dream and Live Poker.

I don't usually make a point of inflicting pain onto myself. However, that seemed to be exactly what I am doing this morning. I wake up about 5 hours after going to sleep (6am). I played the slate yesterday - the noon slate with more success than the evening - and found myself trying to review hands from the previous session. As I am doing so and finding that my Sunday slate has to be the most pathetic of anyone out there to call themselves a "pro" (when I say pro, it does not directly relate to my skill level versus the average level of the best players in the world- just merely that I do this for a living, as meager as it may be at times). I am also finding that the reason I am waking up so often in the early mornings is that I am dreaming or having nightmares about poker. When you immerse yourself so much into the daily grind of poker (and more frustratingly, playing the micros where even a good day can be only a couple thousand profit), you can find yourself dreaming about the most ridiculous things. While most men probably dream about women or sports (I really don't know, I haven't been normal for many years), I dream about having to milk a short stack late in a $3 rebuy. I dream about how am I going to barrel the river when every draw just got there and I have 40% of my stack already in the pot. You know the movie Inception? It talks about the activity of your brain when in your deep sleep and you awareness that you are dreaming etc? Well, I know I am dreaming - I really do most of the time. The problem that I find is that my brain seems to be working on such a high level that it's like I cannot contain it. It wakes me up and there is no chance of me going back to sleep. 

*I don't suppose it helps that I watch poker for the 30-50 hours a week I grind, I listen to poker podcasts when I clean the house, walk the dogs and fall asleep. Or that even in my leisure time I watch every episode of the newest shows on the sports channels. 

So now I find myself at 6:50am. Up for an hour checking out the final 3 tables of the FTOPS ME ($640 Buy-in - $1.3 million for first). I am such a poker degen that I am making notes on these players. The odds that I run into them at my tables is very low, however, it might be the optimist in me that thinks I might need to use these notes one day. Let's put this lightly. I am more f*cking jealous of these pricks than I can put into words. Now down to the final 16. Next out gets over $31k. The play is pretty good thought too. There is not one flop, it seems, that is seen without a 4 bet making its appearance. I feel, though, that the play is not out of my level - I just need to get there. Many of these guys have put 6 bullets into this event - $3240! That is more than my current bankroll-!

It's not like I'm saying that I'm the worst in the world or anything - I make money from this, no doubt. I am just lamenting where did I go wrong? There are numerous times in my poker playing career that I can say I probably missed good spots. I don't want to cause I think about them most days. What I do know is that I am too much of a nit when it comes to poker and my bankroll. I am having a decent start to the year - all without running well deep in most of my tourneys. I am playing really well but it can be disheartening to know that you have only $10,500 profit almost two months in and many of the guys that are younger and less experienced than me and playing bigger and better. I hope I can use this as a stepping stone. I am looking for that one big score (not big like most online pros think- but like $20-30k) that will get me going again. I want to keep more money online and get myself more comfortable in my bankroll so I can play the sunday majors and go for a nice score.

I really think the upcoming MiniFTOPS will be quite telling in how my poker career will turn out. If I can make some moves and run deep in one of them I love my chances against the average player. I really can feel it. This year was supposed to be a year of $70k profit - I want more. I don't want to be average but I want to crush the mid stakes. I don't think I would ever play the high stakes MTTS - I don't have the stomach for the swings and frankly don't think I'm good enough. However, I can crush anything $109 and under. We'll see how this coming month or so goes.

 

16.5 Hour Losing Day

I've put in a lot of long days in my time playing online. I have played for over 24 straight, some days with 20 hours played and a tiny afternoon nap and over 20 15+ hour days. What I usually find at the end of those long days is that I have had a winning session. For the most part the reason for the long days is that I have been playing well and have made some really deep runs in some mtts. Today I put in a long day. I play late last night from midnight to 430am, slept for 5 hours and played for much of the rest of the day. I just finished now, and had a deep run in the $3rebuy. Having the chip lead with 36 players left I thought I was in the right spot for the win. With my leading stack around 60bbs, it certainly wasn't deep as I ran a couple big hands into slightly bigger ones. I had set myself up perfectly to double up with 20bbs after a loose player utg raise 3x and a weak Russia flatted with his 22bbs. I jammed from the button with 33 and the original raiser folded, only to have the Russian snap call with 66 and hold for a top 5 stacks. Out in 26th.

I also made a deep run in the 2pm but faded away in the 50s I think. I am getting pretty frustrated as it feels like I haven't made a deep run in a long time. I did cash for $879 on Sunday but then I also withdrew again and now my bankroll is at a pretty modest amount again. I know I am playing well early and am just waiting for the deep run and my chance to outplay people. It just seems I pick up a hand in some tough spots of late and can't get away from it.

I wasn't down a lot by any means, however $132 is a lot worse than the expected $900 I should be earning in that time. I think I'm playing live cash game tomorrow night so I'll have lots to talk about in that way I'm sure. Its been a slow month (only up around $2500) but I know it will turn around if I keep putting myself in the spots to win. 

Things will definitely happen, just have to wait for the spots.

Early Double = Worst Players Alive

The $6 Early Doubles at 4pm are pretty much the lowest level of tourney that I play when I play the slate. They usually end up in the lull between the noonish and evening tourneys. That is except when I play them on Sundays. Since on Sundays the afternoon tourneys are kinda blended together with the double-deuce, I just threw these two onto my slate to give me a couple more to play. The multi-entry FTOPS was on aswell and I was only able to secure one bullet for the $129 so I didn't have much to play. I busted from a few tourneys in gross fashion and by around 730 I was left with just the Early Double B. I had squeezed into the money with about 10bbs and before I knew it, it was down to 80 and I had doubled up a couple times. I picked my spots well and won a few races and was chip leader when it was down to 18. I turned on the recorder and knew that if I got anything less than 1st I would be pissed. I played well and was able to adjust to how weak the field was. These players were doing some really bad things. They included:

• calling any pf raise in the blinds and donk leading every flop then folding to a raise
• 4x raising for half their stack and folding
• limping with 8bbs and folding to a min raise
• open shoving 40bbs KQo and showing it

AND- all of this happened when we were down to the "best" 18 of the tournament. I picked my spots great and was able to have the chip lead with 8 left at the final table. We saw players bust out, waiting til they had 5bbs to finally call off a raise with J8o. It was so bad I dare not explain it all. I had made a video but it again was too big for youtube.  Finally after messing with the weaknesses of the players and doubling people up a lot. I got headsup with a really weak player down 1.9m to 1.1m in chips. I was using my button to play most hands by 2.5x raising or limping (since he never raised a limp). He was using his to 3-4x raise and fold quite a bit. I got caught 3 barrel bluffing once and was down pretty low. After getting just below his stack I button raised to 90k (3x) and he made it 245k. I shoved with AJo and he snap called with a5o (never good here and I had never 4bet yet) He showed A5o.

I never once thought of making a deal with this mutt. He was so bad that I should win that 9 out of 10 times. I did get lucky to get to that point - enough luck that I think it made up for me running below expectation for the day. $879....kinda ridiculous considering the extra $550 he takes for first after winning the 30-70 but I have done it many times to people before. Again, I leave some money on the table. This is not something big to report about but  a nice little boost to the bankroll and will keep me moving forward and gathering some momentum for the rest of the month. I am certain my good play will become more evident late in tourneys. Glad to turn a min cash into something. Back at it tonight -  maybe tomorrow morning. Either way. I love that I get to do this for work right now :)

Another Close One-6th in Noon $26

Today was another chance at making a big dent in my goal for the year. I had moved my total mtt amount way down from yesterday because I found 30 in 8 hours was just too much to follow and maintain my edge as it got deeper in each one. Today I only played 9 - and mostly dumped the small buy-in multi-entry tourneys that I have yet to make a good score in anyways. I made two deep runs in $26 tourneys, which are the best way I find to make up chunks of scores, just fewer chances. 

I was trying to balance getting my cashes with giving myself a chance to win. That usually involves opening up my game near the bubble and exploiting people making steals by 3-bet shoving. The problem with that is that I was unable to pick up many hands while still in the 15-20bb range (usually the best position to be effectively 3-bet shoving). When that happens and I drop below the 15bb range, I will tend to just try to make the money. It is definitely a very passive way to play and shouldn't be used normally. However, when its the difference between a down day and an even day, I will sometimes take that line and try to sneak in. As we got into the money (108 players), I was in the bottom 10 players. I tried to make a video with some hand review in it so I could check out my play later. I hope that I'll be able to watch these at a later date and also be able to learn from mistakes that I made deep in the tourneys. I tried to get that video uploaded onto youtube but it was too big so I will just keep it on file.

it was a good day in that I jumped over the $10,000 mark for the year and I feel I am playing well. I think I have to avoid leaving so much on the table and focus on closing these things out when I get a chance.

Wednesday Grind

Played 22 tourneys Wednesday including the minislate from 6pm on. Didn't make any deep runs in the guarantees but was able to make a profitable day by winning two of the little non-guarantees. Not a bad day $355 profit with a freeroll at the slate so I'll take it. Moves me to $1500+ profit four days into February.

A Nice Lil Comeback

Started out February with a little smaller of a bankroll. I was around $1650 going into play yesterday and had decided that no matter what the tournament I needed to play a lot. I entered everything that was within my chosen stakes and was playing as low as $2 tournaments. With this strategy I am hoping to play no only the regular guarantees, but also the a win in the smaller tournaments helps to boost morale and cover the days playing costs. Its kinda like throwing a bunch of sh*t at the wall and seeing what sticks. Yesterday I played 16mtts and only cashed in 2. I was able to make a deep run in the $11 1r 1a at 1130am. I played really well accumulating chips and was the chip leader with 18 to go. I was not getting a ton of hands and just outplaying people who were inexperienced. With 15 left I had 99 in the sb and raised 2.5x and got shoved on for about 80% of my stack. With only about 50bbs I was never going to fold 99 here and called. I lost to AQo with a dirty ace on the river and was down to 7bbs. 

I milked my stack really well and picked my spots to get me to the final table with 67k (6.7bbs). I knew I could outplay everyone and was able to double up once and watch as people faded away. I made it to 4 handed with second in chips and eventually lost a three way all in with the two short stacks. I held J10cc v A8o (7bb original shover) and JJ (player woke up with hand in bb) I double up both as a 4liner made a8o the wheel and was short. I never got things back from that and lost with AJo to the bigstacks sb shove k2s for about 9bbs. I made $1440 and was pretty happy. Though I felt I left about $2600 on the table. Decent start to February and brings my yearly up over $9000.