Thursday, June 26, 2008
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Confidence, do you have it?
Haven't been playing to much poker online lately but did play a $11 SNG, came in 2nd for $27 win, then moved to the $1/$2 NL to play for about 30 minutes. Bankroll +$111
I have been doing a lot of re-reading of my NL book along with my PokerVT training, which I know is helping my game. I have more confidence at the tables now, both live and online.
For the next few weeks I'm going to focus on math. Math isn't my favorite subject but if you know anything about poker, it's a numbers game. I need to know the pots odds, the implied odds, quickly be able to know how many outs I have, how many outs I might think my opponent might have. It's not very professional to be using your fingers at the table to count if you have a straight.
It's all good, poker is good, life is good.
Saturday, June 21, 2008
3 + 4 + 3 = $700
I touched the felt, I shuffled the chips between my fingers, I come home $700 up. Yep that's right, decided to head to Caesars... well I thought I was going to Caesars. Half way there I started seeing Horseshoe signs. I was thinking where is there a Horseshoe in IN... as I turn into the parking lot of Caesars I see the lucky horseshoe, finally I put 2 + 2 together and realize Horseshoe has bought Caesars.
Poker room is being remodeled to make it better then before. Hell I thought it was a great poker room when Caesars ran it, how much better could it be. Guess I will find out on July 12th when I go back.
When I got there around 9:30 am they had one table going with $1/$2 NL so I put my name on the list. After a short wait I bought in for $300 (table max). This was a good time for me to get to the table. Of the 9 players (me included) I was the only one that had not been there 12 plus hours, this is a good thing. Players were tried, stupid, drunk. Me, bright eyed and brushy tailed.
After about an hour I look down at pocket Aces. I raise in middle position to $15 and get 4 callers.... yes 4 callers so a total of 5 people to the flop. Not what I wanted. Flop came blank, blank K... first person check's I bet $15 and person on my left re-raises to a total of $65 the other 3 players fold. I think about it and call. Turn comes an Ace. DING DING DING... I hit the jackpot. I thought the one guy might have trip King's and I had already been thinking I might have to lay down my pocket rockets but now I'm in glory land baby.
I bet $60 and he goes in the think tank and finally pushes all in... he has me covered... when I started the hand I had about $265 .. of course I call his all in and YEP he had trip Kings to my trip Ace's... River was a blank and I win a MONSTER pot. This puts me at about $650 and I go on for another two hours or so and build my pot to $1000 and cash out.
Two racks of red baby... I'm up $700 for about 4 hours of work.
3 hour drive there... 4 hours of play... 3 hour drive back = $700.
My bankroll will not increase by $700 because I am moving and will be using this money for painters and movers rather then my poker bankroll (I'm being responsible)
Can't wait to get back to the felt.
Poker room is being remodeled to make it better then before. Hell I thought it was a great poker room when Caesars ran it, how much better could it be. Guess I will find out on July 12th when I go back.
When I got there around 9:30 am they had one table going with $1/$2 NL so I put my name on the list. After a short wait I bought in for $300 (table max). This was a good time for me to get to the table. Of the 9 players (me included) I was the only one that had not been there 12 plus hours, this is a good thing. Players were tried, stupid, drunk. Me, bright eyed and brushy tailed.
After about an hour I look down at pocket Aces. I raise in middle position to $15 and get 4 callers.... yes 4 callers so a total of 5 people to the flop. Not what I wanted. Flop came blank, blank K... first person check's I bet $15 and person on my left re-raises to a total of $65 the other 3 players fold. I think about it and call. Turn comes an Ace. DING DING DING... I hit the jackpot. I thought the one guy might have trip King's and I had already been thinking I might have to lay down my pocket rockets but now I'm in glory land baby.
I bet $60 and he goes in the think tank and finally pushes all in... he has me covered... when I started the hand I had about $265 .. of course I call his all in and YEP he had trip Kings to my trip Ace's... River was a blank and I win a MONSTER pot. This puts me at about $650 and I go on for another two hours or so and build my pot to $1000 and cash out.
Two racks of red baby... I'm up $700 for about 4 hours of work.
3 hour drive there... 4 hours of play... 3 hour drive back = $700.
My bankroll will not increase by $700 because I am moving and will be using this money for painters and movers rather then my poker bankroll (I'm being responsible)
Can't wait to get back to the felt.
Friday, June 20, 2008
Happy Friday - Morning Report
Woke up to my morning cup of juice BANKROLL +10.75, not a horrible way to start out the day.
Plans for this weekend poker related, tonight I will be playing at the local poker league, hope to win first place for $50. Last Friday made it to the final table... probably could have done better but I broke another rule; drinking while playing poker. Oh well, it happens right, it was for free though so I won't get down on myself that much about it.
Saturday if the weather is bad, I might play their afternoon game. I need to play more live poker although the local league isn't my ideal practice field but any live game is better then no live play at all.
I am getting an itch for the sound of real poker chips being shuffled between the fingers of want-to-be poker pro's and feel of the dirty felt on the palm of my hands guess I have to wait another 3 weeks before that happens.
That's all I have today... now go play some poker!!!
Plans for this weekend poker related, tonight I will be playing at the local poker league, hope to win first place for $50. Last Friday made it to the final table... probably could have done better but I broke another rule; drinking while playing poker. Oh well, it happens right, it was for free though so I won't get down on myself that much about it.
Saturday if the weather is bad, I might play their afternoon game. I need to play more live poker although the local league isn't my ideal practice field but any live game is better then no live play at all.
I am getting an itch for the sound of real poker chips being shuffled between the fingers of want-to-be poker pro's and feel of the dirty felt on the palm of my hands guess I have to wait another 3 weeks before that happens.
That's all I have today... now go play some poker!!!
Thursday, June 19, 2008
I came home the other day after another stressful day at work. I walk into the kitchen to find a big gift bag that looks like a wedding gift or a birthday gift, something. I automatically start to think, "oh boy did I miss an anniversary? A birthday? Sweetest Day? Must be some Hallmark day that I had forgotten.
Surprisingly I was wrong. It was a "just because" day. Just because after a week from hell she (my better half) got me a few gifts. Just because I need a pick me up. Just because she loved me. Just because... Isn't the just because days so nice.
The gift contained three awesome items; a new black baseball hat (I desperately needed), a new T-Shirt (who couldn't use one of these), and a really cool plaque that says "Silly Boys, Poker is for girls", all things poker related.... that's me baby.... POKER.
POKER... POK-HER.... POKER... POK-HER.... LIFE IS GOOD.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Enthusiasm
Last night we get home from dinner and my GF decides she wants to play poker online for real money. I encourage her to play poker ONLY because I enjoy it so much and wish she did also as I know she hates talking about it all the time.
So we quickly get both laptops up and running, she logs into her PokerStars account (she already had an account from previous gestures), I log into mine and I transfer her $25 from my bankroll to her account. I set her up at a full ring $.10/.$25 table. She plays for awhile, up and down, nothing major. She then moves to another table where she gets two really bad beats... both bad beats she had trips and the other person heads up had the same trips with a better kicker.
Her enthusiasm for poker quickly went south and I think she got her fill of online poker to last her another 6 months.
Oh well, my fantasy that she would enjoy poker as much as me is forever gone.
BANKROLL (-$25.00)
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Trip 10's in the Big Blind
At first I couldn't decide if I played this hand right or wrong. I'm in the big blind and no raises or callers in front of me and it comes down to just the blinds, I check. I have 10 6 of hearts. Flop comes 3 10 10, small blind bets $.50 and I call. I call instead of raise because I was slow playing my trips. Another 3 comes on the turn, which is a good card for me. Nothing on the board scares me. Small blind checks, I check also, again slow playing my trips. River comes a Q of hearts and the small blind bets $2 and I raise it to $10, he then pushes all in for $31.45 and I instantly call.
Now when I look back at it, I wonder if the outcome would have been the same since he had Q 10 and was also slow playing his trips. Should I have just called the $2? Should I have folded when he re-raised me? I think I played this hand completely wrong.
BANKROLL (-$25.00)
Now when I look back at it, I wonder if the outcome would have been the same since he had Q 10 and was also slow playing his trips. Should I have just called the $2? Should I have folded when he re-raised me? I think I played this hand completely wrong.
BANKROLL (-$25.00)
Friday, June 13, 2008
Daniel Negreanu
Last night Daniel Negreanu won his 4th World Series of Poker bracelet in Event #20.
Daniel Negreanu has always been my favorite poker pro. He always seems so down to earth in all his interviews, seems to be a fun guy, seems to know how to play poker, etc. Some pro's tend to have big heads, not Daniel. If he does he sure doesn't come across that way.
I have a feeling he will win another one before its all over and I personally hope we will see him at the final table in November.
My poker training you have read about is from Daniel's sponsored PokerVT.com which has online virtual poker training. Daniel has wrote about his participation with PokerVT for months now in his daily blog so I was excited when it launched a few weeks ago. I think it's a really great training site and I can tell already it has helped me improve my online game. We will see if it has helped my live game when I had to the casino on July 12th.
I had my morning cup of juice and increased my bankroll $11.65. Every bit helps.
PEACE!
Thursday, June 12, 2008
I have "rules" that I must following in order to keep my poker game on key, here are some of these rules:
* Never drink while playing poker for money
* Never play if tired or bored
* Don't play at work
The last rule "don't play at work" was a rule I put on myself about three weeks ago when I kept having losing sessions on my lunch hour. A guy I work with is also a poker junkie and we play poker at lunch, talk about poker all day, etc. I work in Cubeland, U.S.A. and people are always interrupting me while I'm playing. So I told myself a few weeks back, I am no longer playing at work.
I broke that rule today. I played during my lunch hour and lost $8.43.
At least I wasn't drinking while playing at work!!!
BANKROLL (-$8.43)
Juicy Tables
I have come to the conclusion that the $.25/$.50 6 ring tables on PS are some juicy tables and I love a good morning cup of juice. I just recently started playing the 6 handed tables because the training I have been getting covers a lot on short handed tables. It does make some sense to play these tables online for a few different reasons:
1) You have less bad players to deal with (hopefully).
2) You can keep better notes on 5 players vs 8 players.
3) Easier to pick up on patterns of only 5 players.
Once you get those three things down, you can use it to your advantage against those players. It really has been working for me.
Every morning for the past week I get up and play at least 30 minutes. This is where I seem to be building my bankroll at. Not sure if it's because most of the players are from the other side of the world and they have been playing all night and are tired. Not sure if it's because the tables I have been selecting are just full on donkey's donkin' off all their money. I don't really care what the reason is. GIVE IT TO ME BABY.
The hands I have lost were basically because of bad beats, for an example this morning I had pocket rocket's against one player who pushed all his chips in for a total of around $25, of course I called his all in. He had Q10. Why in the world would someone call all their chips with Q10 off suit? Flop comes 10 10 5 on the board so of course he won... BUT about 15 minutes later, I had my $25 back from him.
I have been playing solid poker, not calling my money away on marginal hands. Not being in pots with marginal hands out of position. I can't say enough about note taking, especially for online. I now look for tables that have people I have notes on playing. I can fold my small blind and big blind if need be. I like to defend my blinds but not at the cost of my bankroll. I have taken a lot of the "gamble" out of my game, which has helped. I'm an aggressive player naturally and I have had to learn to mix my game up, change styles and notice when other players "have my number". I'm happy with my play right now.
As I said in the beginning of the blog, it's morning and my cup is about empty. Need to get in the shower and go to my real job.
Hope everyone has a great day.
BANKROLL +$47.75
1) You have less bad players to deal with (hopefully).
2) You can keep better notes on 5 players vs 8 players.
3) Easier to pick up on patterns of only 5 players.
Once you get those three things down, you can use it to your advantage against those players. It really has been working for me.
Every morning for the past week I get up and play at least 30 minutes. This is where I seem to be building my bankroll at. Not sure if it's because most of the players are from the other side of the world and they have been playing all night and are tired. Not sure if it's because the tables I have been selecting are just full on donkey's donkin' off all their money. I don't really care what the reason is. GIVE IT TO ME BABY.
The hands I have lost were basically because of bad beats, for an example this morning I had pocket rocket's against one player who pushed all his chips in for a total of around $25, of course I called his all in. He had Q10. Why in the world would someone call all their chips with Q10 off suit? Flop comes 10 10 5 on the board so of course he won... BUT about 15 minutes later, I had my $25 back from him.
I have been playing solid poker, not calling my money away on marginal hands. Not being in pots with marginal hands out of position. I can't say enough about note taking, especially for online. I now look for tables that have people I have notes on playing. I can fold my small blind and big blind if need be. I like to defend my blinds but not at the cost of my bankroll. I have taken a lot of the "gamble" out of my game, which has helped. I'm an aggressive player naturally and I have had to learn to mix my game up, change styles and notice when other players "have my number". I'm happy with my play right now.
As I said in the beginning of the blog, it's morning and my cup is about empty. Need to get in the shower and go to my real job.
Hope everyone has a great day.
BANKROLL +$47.75
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Dream Flop
Have to work late today so I am going into work around noon so I decided to play a little poker this morning. Playing at a $.25 / $.50 6 handed ring game.
I have pocket trey's in the big blind, one person raises it to $2.00 so I make the $1.50 call. The flop comes, 3-9-5 rainbow. DREAM FLOP. Two players in the pot. I'm first to act and I check, player #1 bets $1.50 player #2 raises to $4. I have the action I want, just not sure I want to play it against two others? I go ahead and re-raise it to $15, insta fold from player #1 and almost an insta re-raise all in from player #2 for a total of $50.95.
At this point, I think I have to call but pray that he doesn't also have trips that can beat me... he has pocket K's.
See for yourself.... (BANKROLL +60.95)
I have pocket trey's in the big blind, one person raises it to $2.00 so I make the $1.50 call. The flop comes, 3-9-5 rainbow. DREAM FLOP. Two players in the pot. I'm first to act and I check, player #1 bets $1.50 player #2 raises to $4. I have the action I want, just not sure I want to play it against two others? I go ahead and re-raise it to $15, insta fold from player #1 and almost an insta re-raise all in from player #2 for a total of $50.95.
At this point, I think I have to call but pray that he doesn't also have trips that can beat me... he has pocket K's.
See for yourself.... (BANKROLL +60.95)
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Good Day Of Poker
Hello to anyone that reads this poker blog... I decided to come home and take some of my frustration out on my fellow poker players this evening as I have had a horrible day at work. Anything and everything that could go wrong today did so maybe the poker God's will be nicer to me. Well they were after all. I first played a free roll which was giving two seats to the Sunday Million on Poker Stars. I went out 10th, not bad though, it was free. Maybe next time. I would have done better but I ended up on the phone with my sister and wasn't paying attention like I should have. Oh well, it was free.
I then played two $22 heads up SNG and won both, bankroll up $44.
I then went to the $.25/$.50 6 handed table and doubled.
I had some crazy hands overall for the day. Some hands I got extremely lucky on, some were bad beats, but hell that's poker, right?
World Series of Poker is still going strong. Ladies Event #15 is down to the final two, they will play until there is a winner. It's basically even in chips right now. Good Luck to Anh Le and Svetlana Gromenkova, both have won events in the past so this isn't their first rodeo.
My bankroll +$104
PEACE
I then played two $22 heads up SNG and won both, bankroll up $44.
I then went to the $.25/$.50 6 handed table and doubled.
I had some crazy hands overall for the day. Some hands I got extremely lucky on, some were bad beats, but hell that's poker, right?
World Series of Poker is still going strong. Ladies Event #15 is down to the final two, they will play until there is a winner. It's basically even in chips right now. Good Luck to Anh Le and Svetlana Gromenkova, both have won events in the past so this isn't their first rodeo.
My bankroll +$104
PEACE
Sunday, June 8, 2008
Pocket Rockets
Did I not raise it enough pre-flop? I got what I wanted; heads up. I have lost with pocket rockets enough to know, you never want to enter a pot with more then one person with this hand. It's a great... hell it's the best hand to start with in No Limit Hold'em but damn...
I know I have only shown bad beats in my replay hands but damn, how bad does it get!!!!
Next time I'll show a hand or two that I think I played poorly as we know we all do that from time to time.
I know I have only shown bad beats in my replay hands but damn, how bad does it get!!!!
Next time I'll show a hand or two that I think I played poorly as we know we all do that from time to time.
Saturday, June 7, 2008
Basic Poker
Don't have much to report, played a little poker this morning for about an hour. Was playing $.25/.$50 NLHE full ring table. Nothing to exciting to report. No coin flops or bad beats, just basic poker. Really trying to focus on not playing marginal hands out of position, I think that's a hole in my game.
BANKROLL +16.45
BANKROLL +16.45
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Bad Beat - Bubble Girl
Was playing a $5 SNG, was down to four players, only 3 positions paid and then this happens...
A work my way back up to $795 get Pocket 7's and push all in... bad luck is following me...
BANKROLL (-$5.50)
A work my way back up to $795 get Pocket 7's and push all in... bad luck is following me...
BANKROLL (-$5.50)
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Discrimination in the world of poker....
WSOP Event #1 first bracelet goes to Nedad Medic for $794, 1112.
Final top 9 were:
#2 Andrew Block
#3 Kathy Liebert
#4 Mike Sexton
#5 Amit Makhjia
#6 Chris Bell
#7 Patrik Antonius
#8 Mike Sowers
#9 Phil Laak
Night before the final table PokerStars announced they made a one day deal with Kathy Liebert. Full Tilt announced that they just signed Patrik Antonius on as one of their Full Tilt Pro Team Members (long term deal).
Kathy Liebert is one of the top female players of today. She has over $4 million in tournament winnings yet she gets a ONE DAY deal with PS.
Oh wait, I get it. Kathy isn't what our society calls "model material". She isn't thin and skinny and flashy like a Vanessa Rousso who has less than $150,000 in tournament winnings or Isabelle Mercier who has less than $350,000 in tournament winnings but they are nice to look at, I give them that. Hell I was recently was taken out by Vanessa in a WSOP circuit event, she was VERY nice to look at but I have more respect for someone like Kathy Liebert.
On to the male side of the poker table... typical stereotype of a male poker player... big hairy, ugly guy that has gotten divorced and turned to poker to fill his emptiness or a college drop out 20 something punk that needs a reality check on life.
Let's look at some of the male pro's who have long term deals with major poker rooms:
First there is Mr. Moneymaker (aka Chris Moneymaker) He has won ONE event. Now I give him it was the MAIN event 2003 and he still gets credited today for the poker boom. Doesn't he fit the stereotype, big, hairy and ugly part?
Moving on to the 2004 Champ Greg Raymer he fits that type as well, big and ugly but he might be hairless who knows and who cares.
Mike Matusow team Full Tilt, big, hairy, felon, recovering alcoholic/drug addict.
I guess in 2008 we still have discrimination even in the poker world. I'm hopeful it will change soon and the next big boom in poker will be the lady boom; watch out world here we come.
Now that's why I want to be a professional poker player :)
PEACE!
Final top 9 were:
#2 Andrew Block
#3 Kathy Liebert
#4 Mike Sexton
#5 Amit Makhjia
#6 Chris Bell
#7 Patrik Antonius
#8 Mike Sowers
#9 Phil Laak
Night before the final table PokerStars announced they made a one day deal with Kathy Liebert. Full Tilt announced that they just signed Patrik Antonius on as one of their Full Tilt Pro Team Members (long term deal).
Kathy Liebert is one of the top female players of today. She has over $4 million in tournament winnings yet she gets a ONE DAY deal with PS.
Oh wait, I get it. Kathy isn't what our society calls "model material". She isn't thin and skinny and flashy like a Vanessa Rousso who has less than $150,000 in tournament winnings or Isabelle Mercier who has less than $350,000 in tournament winnings but they are nice to look at, I give them that. Hell I was recently was taken out by Vanessa in a WSOP circuit event, she was VERY nice to look at but I have more respect for someone like Kathy Liebert.
On to the male side of the poker table... typical stereotype of a male poker player... big hairy, ugly guy that has gotten divorced and turned to poker to fill his emptiness or a college drop out 20 something punk that needs a reality check on life.
Let's look at some of the male pro's who have long term deals with major poker rooms:
First there is Mr. Moneymaker (aka Chris Moneymaker) He has won ONE event. Now I give him it was the MAIN event 2003 and he still gets credited today for the poker boom. Doesn't he fit the stereotype, big, hairy and ugly part?
Moving on to the 2004 Champ Greg Raymer he fits that type as well, big and ugly but he might be hairless who knows and who cares.
Mike Matusow team Full Tilt, big, hairy, felon, recovering alcoholic/drug addict.
I guess in 2008 we still have discrimination even in the poker world. I'm hopeful it will change soon and the next big boom in poker will be the lady boom; watch out world here we come.
Now that's why I want to be a professional poker player :)
PEACE!
Sunday, June 1, 2008
Typical Online Luck
Typical online luck... someone please tell me you also experience this. I was playing a $6 Heads Up with two tables. I get pocket K's push all in and get called with pocket Q's. Q comes on the Turn and I'm out.
Bankroll - $6.50
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