THUR 19th OCT - UPDATE

In my last blog entry, I claimed I was optimistic of moving up levels in NL cash either by this update or Saturday's. But, as is usually the case, things haven't gone entirely to plan. They've not been disastrous, but just not as I expected.

NL CASH - $25 NL

Hands (Total): 937 (8448)
$ won (Total): -$135.15 (+$443.73)
Current BR: $943.73

Yeah, I got destroyed. I hit my first real cooler lately. Had the following hands. I realise that the last couple are terrible but I fear my judgment, especially on the AQ hand was a little influenced by my very short term results.

http://www.pokerhand.org/?566419

Pretty sure my opponent had the J or a pair here. My read on this player was that he would have check-called a better nine on the flop as he was pretty bad, so I called the flop raise assuming he would fire out on the turn with a J if the turn bricked. It didn't. The check-call on the turn though made me think he had the K or J and was hoping for a showdown. I was a little concerned with the river, but I was getting 4-1 on the call, and brilliant, I've been runner runnered.

http://www.pokerhand.org/?566412

This hand I posted on 2+2. Difficult to put someone on the set here with reasonable draws out there and the fact players at this level with stack off with as little as AT here.

http://www.pokerhand.org/?566430

Flop play was a little debatable but was sure my opponent was stacking off here with AJ-A8 type hands. Because of this, what a lovely turn. Oh, no it isn't, its the worst card in the deck.

http://www.pokerhand.org/?566437

villain had re-raised my button raise several times for the BB so I thought I would 3-bet him this time as a semi-bluff and see how serious he was. He flat called. Magic flop. Times to represent a missed AK and he'll call off all his chips with JJ-99 etc. Yup, set over set. Lovely.

http://www.pokerhand.org/?566431

Not a beat as such, but bad timing. Villian had been raising about 80% of hands from the button and I hadn't got out of line from the SB before. Thought I would be unlucky for him not to give me credit for a big A, even AK, but he didn't and he probably had it himself. Ah well, you win some, you lose some.

http://www.pokerhand.org/?566434

Almost the only card in the deck where he's getting any money off me on the river. Nothing usually, but a bit annoying given all this was in one session.

http://www.pokerhand.org/?566423

After the flop, I was pretty sure he had AK and but was so infuriated at seeing the worst card in the deck just mashed the bet button. Suppose I should try and stop this. :)

I realise that most of these hands aren't exactly bad beats, or even beats, but they were pretty hard to take in one session when I had been playing/running so well previously. However, I certainly have something to learn from these hands, and in particular the AQ vs AK hand at the end. I was about 95% of my read and should have trusted it and not just got my money in for the sake of tilt. Very disappointed with myself for that. However, mistakes are the easiest way to learn IMO.

STTs - $11s

Games (Total): 21 (45)
$ won (Total): +$31 (+$53)
Current BR: $603

Played a few $11 regs at pokerstars this week to get used to their software. With help from wiggs (2+2) regarding pokertracker and futuredoc85 (2+2) regarding multitabling at stars in general, I am ready to take the STTs a little more seriously once again.

However, the stars regular STTs are VERY long and extremely dull, especially when compared to the party speeds. So, I am going to start playing the turbos. The problem here comes with the buy-in levels. They are no longer the standard levels. They are instead $6+$0.50, $15+$1, $25+$2, $55+$5.

Consequently, I am going to add these levels in to the steps I set in my original post. Hence my $603 current BR will be used for the $6.50s and when I reach $960, I will start at the $16s with an $800BR. Easy. Although this means moving down a level, it shouldn't be for long, and will allow me to get more familiar with the software.

MTTs - $11s

Games (Total): 8 (74)
$ won (Total): +$348.05 (+$499.22)
Current BR: $1049.22 (***$825 see below***)

Oh yes. I scored one. Well almost. Came 2nd in a 400 man $5.50 on FTP (which I know love - especially the flash final table feature) for ~$290, 3rd in a 50 man $5.50 Omaha8 on FTP and 4th in a 50 man NLH $11 on UB. The 2nd place was a real rollercoaster.

Didn't seem to do that much early on, but was in the top 20 with 70 left. And I pwned the bubble like never before. 36 paid and when we were down to 38 I raised every hand for a whole orbit. Had to make one CTN bet to take that down and had a short stack push over me with KJ on one hand. Very fortunately, I had JJ...and it held up. With 70 opponents I would say I was in about 20th with 14000 chips. After the bubble, I was 2nd with about 50000 chips with only one showdown. I really like doing that.

Continued to dominate my table and when we reached the final table (of 9), I had 75000 of the 350000 chips in play. However, AK was beaten by AJ for a 40000 chip pot. Then, I got into a lovely situation and my opponent called off a lot of chips when perhaps he shouldn't have. Here. My threatening warning was a success!

That gave me my lead back. Then, this would, and should, have given me way over half the chips in play. That sucked! A bit quiet after that but got to final 4 with 180(me), 190,130,40. And then I got fairly (read very) lucky with a beauty of a river. Following that, I really should have taken it down, but my opponent and I entered HU about even in chips. He was REALLY aggressive, except for the one hand where I had AA. He completely dominated me. However, If I had have picked up any hand at all I would have been able to fight back easily. Eventually K9 was beaten by A2 and I got 2nd. Taking it down would have been ~$450 which would have been nice, but in no way can I complain.

I'm also going to slightly alter the buy-in levels associated with MTTs. There are some pretty good tournies with buy-ins in between levels, so I'm going to add a $16.50 level and $27 level in on the MTTs. Maybe more as I move up. So, I would move up when I reached $990 ($16.50 * 60) and start again at the $16.50s with $825 ($16.50 * 50). So I will pocket the difference and now play any freezeouts with entry less than or equal to $16.50 and rebuys less than or equal to $3.30.

TOTAL BR: $2371.73

Although this is only $20 greater than last update, I have taken $225 out of my poker related finances. Spend that on something balla no doubt.

Ok, going to start playing some Stars $6.50s now I think. Next update is Saturday. Stay tuned.

skegvegaspoker