Long time no post. Update poker wise... I cashed a lot of money out, and basically lost a lot more after a horrible run after the new Online gambling law passed. I really miss party poker.

I am however going to be starting a new quest. I am going to play the small No Limit cash games and grind my way back up to 2/4 where I hope to get back my roll. I could redeposit money that I have taken offline, but that is no fun. I really did want to go to the PCA (Pokerstars caribbian adventure) this year, and I guess thats not out of the question yet. If I have enough of a roll, I may try to qualify over winter break. I have not decided yet.

As for the quest.. here is how it will go. I am going to start with about ~$500 and play 4-6 tables of .25/.50 NL and .50/1 NL until I have about 2.5K. Once I reach that level I am going to move up to 1/2 NL and REALLY try to keep 25 buyins for the level I am playing. If at any time I go on a 6 buy-in downswing I will drop back down to the previous level, and move back up when I get back to 25 buy-ins. I would however like to have 50 buy-ins before I move up to 3/6 NL.

My goal for this month is to make it to 2/4 NL and make 10K profit. At the end of the month I should be able to start grinding 2/4NL really hard for the new year. I will be updating as much as possible. Good luck to me!


New Blog tracking this quest will be located at:
www.pokermonth.blogspot.com

So it was a not so good ending to a long month, poker wise. I went on a sick downswing this last week in 2/4 NL loseing most of my profit for the month. I was up about about ~12K coming into the last week, and it looked like it could be a ~15k+ month for me. Insted I dropped about ~7K back. It was actually more than that, but I moved up to 5/10NL where I ran hot making a few K back. Overall it was still a positive month, but just barely. I also dropped about 3k in MTT play over the month, which I am actually proud of. I said that MTT's were a leak of mine, and I would often play too many, I think I did a good job this month of sticking to the big sunday ones, and only the biggest weekday ones. I never really had a big score, which sucked. I came sooo close in dise 150K, it still huts to go back and read that post. My ultimate goal in poker is to consistantly be able to beat 5/10NL and take shots at higher limits whenever I feel like. I feel that I am on my way there. I dabbled in the 5/10NL on party, even though I am way underrolled for it and did very well. There are some REALLY bad players there, and I have yet to run into a really good player. My play is not good enough to stay there I don't think, but I will continue to single table/double table until I get tired of it.

I am really unsure of what I want to accomplish this month poker wise. (other than obviously make lots of $$$$$$$$) I am kinda getting a little burnt out on the cash games, I think I go on tilt a little too often, and have a tendincy to get a little board and play looser. Which is something I am going to work on. I think this month I am going to continue to dabble in the 5/10NL and also start back in the $200 SNG's. I am reading on the 2+2 boards that people who I played with at the $100's (who in my opinion were nothing special) have since moved up to the $200's and are pulling a double digit ROI. The problem with SNG's is that the net here at school can be a little choppy at times, and I would hate to disconnect with over $1000 in SNG's open, forcing me to miss hands. Its not as bad in cash games because its only one hand, and they also have measures to protect against this happening. And I will also continue to look for my big sunday score, which hopefully will be this month!

Shitty Sunday

I played most of the big sunday MTT's again. I have been limiting myself to only playing MTT's on sunday, which has worked out well.
I played the Event #1 of the FTOSP which was guaranteed at 250k, I placed OutOfTheMoney. Played the Stars and Party sunday million, where I placed OOTM. I also played the the 200K Gtd on UB, and the second chance sunday tournament, where I placed OOTM. The only tournament I cashed in was the 150K on Paradise, where I took 20th place. Im not sure if I really screwed up here, or if I just got really unlucky.

I was chipleader with about ~40 or so people left, I had 200K which would be an average stack for a final table. I then lost a 120K pot which I lost in a coinflip. After this pot I was still in like 2nd place overall with 150K in chips. Then I think I misplayed a hand where I called a 3 bet push on a scary flop with Top pair no kicker, which brought me down to like 40K. Then with 20 people left I made a really ugly resteal and was dominated to get knocked out. First place was about 40K. It was actually really sicking to go from chipleader with 30 people left to busto at 20. I know I could have final tabled this thing, I really need to work on my closing when I get deep. I think I am going to have someone analyze my last ~200 hands or so, and tell me what im doing wrong and where I can improve. Anyway, 20th netted me about 1k, which made me a slight loser of about $500 on the day.

I have been playing a lot of 2/4 NL lately. I have also been running fairly good, but I could be doing better. If I were to play a little tighter and also more in position rather than out of position my ptbb/100 whould be a little better. This last week I have played about 7,800 hands and ran at 7.31 bb/100, which is actually better than I thought. I have been 5-6 tableing, but I just can't seem to get enough hours in. Poker Tracker says I have played ~16 hours which equals about $270 per hour. Not exactly a bad hourly rate. I should be getting a minimum of 10K hands a week and 20 hours worked. I am however happy with these results.

So thanks to party and its magic dissapearing action buttons, I have quit playing SNG's until the problem is fixed. I have jumped into 2/4 NL on party, and I may choose to stay here. The players are just so horrible, and its very hard to lose your stack if your a good player. I have been 3-4 tableing it, maybe I will add more once I am more comfortable there. Once I make enough for the next level, I will be moving up to 3/6 NL.

So far I have played 2,126 hands of 2/4 NL 6 max and I am up $2,880.44. I am running at about 17PTBB/100. If I can keep running this well, I will for sure be staying at cash games and moving up as quickly as possible.

I also did not play in any of the big tourneys today because im going out to a graduation party tonight. Hopefully it will be worth it.

I played a few of the big tournaments yesterday. I played the $350+20 WSOP 150 seat satellite on Poker Stars, which I satellited into for about $50. And I also played the $500+35 Full Tilt 100 Seat satellite which I also satellited into for about $150. I busted fairly early in these, however at the time I was not upset. The tournament I got really deep in was the Party Poker 1 million guaranteed. This is the big Sunday tournament which costs $200+15 to enter, and has a guaranteed prize pool of 1 million dollars. I played almost perfect poker, I think I misplayed 3 hands, but I still managed to have an above average stack when I got bad beated out.

Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t40,000 (9 handed) Hand History Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com (Format: HTML)

CO (t830702)
Hero (t751140)
SB (t2222691)
BB (t707684)
UTG (t1755309)
UTG+1 (t749333)
MP1 (t274332)
MP2 (t1158914)
MP3 (t197292)

Preflop: Hero is Button with As, Ks.
5 folds, CO calls t40000, Button raises to t150000, 2 folds, CO calls t110000.

Flop: (t300000) Kd, 7c, 4h (2 players)
CO bets t40000, Button raises to t220000, CO calls t180000.

Turn: (t740000) 3h (2 players)
CO checks, Hero goes all in, CO calls t380140.

River: (t1120140) Js (2 players)

CO shows..... KcJc for a river 2 pair.

He was drawing to 3 outs with 1 card to come. Cardplayer says I was 93.18% to win the hand. Just an insane bad beat when you consider how much money is on the line.

This pot would have given me just over 1.5 million in chips as we were approaching a critical time, the final table bubble. 1st place in this tournament was just over $165,000. I also heard that the final table was very weak, and was very poor at making the deal when it got short handed. Man did this hurt. It felt like a really hard punch in the stomach, just takes the wind right out of you. It happend on the river too. I get him allin drawing to 3 outs, and boom. This was probably the biggest and worst beat I have ever taken, simply because of the size of this tournament. You do not make it this deep in these big sunday tournaments too often. Insted of a huge payday like I have been waiting for I took 35th place out of 5482 people. I won just under $2k for this, all in all, making it a rather good day. However I am sickly dissapointed, I feel like I could have won so much more.

So, its been a rough first few days of the month. I have been playing a LOT of MTT's, with a few SNG's in there. I am down a little on my SNG play, but thats ok because I just took down the $40,000 Guaranteed $100+9 on Party Poker. I actually chopped it heads up for almost an even split. I won just over $11,000, and my 2nd biggest payday ever. That nets me about 8K for the month so far. It felt REALLY good to win this thing. It is one of the tournies that I play almost daily, so its awsome to finally win it.

I played really solid throughout the whole tourney. I had a very nice stack, then took a horrible beat for a HUGE pot. I had AQ and lost to A9. This preddy much crippled me and put me into push/fold mode. And to top it off, I had the chip leader directly to my left. I worked some magic, and won 2 key hands and all of a sudden I was back with a slightly below average stack with 2 tables left. I then won 2 flips and had amassed a nice stack as we were approaching the Final table bubble. It allowed me to take advantage and I came into the final table as the 2nd biggest stack by less than 10K in chips. The final table basically played itself. A few people busted, then I had a really big hand happen. Early position guy minraised, someone coldcalled, then I called with pocket 2's and the blinds came along for the ride too. The flop brought a beautiful 2 which gave me a set, and all of a sudden the Overagressive SB leads out for like 100K, shortie BB calls allin, and I push with about 300K behind. SB goes into the tank and claims he folded K9 (top pair), I win this hand and I am now chipleader. The next big hand comes when there are 3 players left. Me and one other guy have about the same amount with a shortie hanging around. I pick up 55 in the SB and pop it up. I am called by the overagresive BB. Flop is likeK36, with 2 spades, I lead out and am minraised by the BB, I call. Turn brings an offsuit 4, which gives me an open ender, I push for about 300K into a 300K pot. The BB insta calls and flips over K4 for 2 pair. River is the wonderful 2 which gives me a straight and 1million in chips, a massive lead. In the end me and the former shortie are about equal in chips so we chop it almost even. And I take home $11,502.

So I have been kinda lazy about updating this blog everyday, and I think I am going to stop until next month. I dropped about 10 buy-ins yesterday in SNG's, so that sucked. I almost made the final table of the $55 rebuy yesterday too.

I had a really nice stack and made a reallllllllly stupid play on a weak player. He had just raised the 2 hands previous to this 3x and took them down. This hand he minraised (blinds 1k/2k), I was in the SB with 77, I really wanted to raise, but insted just called with the intention of hitting a set or folding. However, the flop came a harmless looking 9T4, checked to the pre flop raiser, who underbet the pot, I stupidly check-raised allin and was insta called by QTs. That cost me most of my chips and put me in push/fold mode. I was soon out with 2 tables left. Really disapointing.

I however really feel that my MTT game is progressing by leaps and bounds. The #1 thing is confidence, after that win I sure have a lot of it. I am also realizing the important concepts to bring over from my SNG play, and am also realizing the important differences. The main thing in MTT play is patience, and switching gears. You always hear and or read about these people who make elaborate bluffs and "play the people," but I find that if you just play a fairly straightforward game, you will continually get deep. There are so many people who will donate all their chips to you with 2nd pair and nothing else, that it is almost pointless to try and bluff them. There is obviously more too it, but this is one concept that I feel is often overlooked and over thought about. Also I am really supprised by how important it is to be the first one in the pot, and not call raises with marginal hands. While not as important early, when it gets really deep just before bubble time, I think this is a very important concept. I am also supprised by how easy it is to build your stack around the bubble. While the better the players the harder it is, the worse the players, the easier it is. Ok, enough rambling on..

July is almos here, and I will try to keep a daily account of everything I am doing that month. Hopefully I will be able to win my WSOP seat too.