So I'm probably not going to always number my days, but the other day I had a awesome day; but stressful. It seemed I was going all over the place. I was hoping to recover my loses from day 2, and I started off quite well.
Two hours into the session, I didn't really seem to get anywhere except up maybe 2 or 3 dollars. I was multi-tabling, so I would of thought that after 2 hours I would have been more than that, but I seemed to be at a stand still.
Then I hit it; with Ax suited, I make a small pre-flop raise, two callers and I flop a flush draw. Check, check, I put in a mid-size bet, and get one caller. I make my flush on the turn. I make another bet, half the pot this time to make it look like I was nervous that he called my c-bet. He shoves instantly for his entire stack. I assume he has a lower flush, or possibly 2 pair and for some reason didn't care that a flush draw was just completed.
I insta-call, and he turns over a set. I was excited to rake in the pot and make up for all those lost chips the other day... but the river pairs the board and I lose to a full boat. I was so frustrated. I re-buy hoping to win my money back... but can't seem to get anywhere. It was probably mostly tilt, but it just seemed like I missed every flop, every bluff seemed to not be believed.
I lost another $15, and now instead of being up $35 on my grand, I was down more than $10.
I re-bought. I was going to fight for my money back. But then I had another idea. I was wired, steaming and frustrated, and wanted to play to win my money back. I needed a break.
So I got up, I sat in my apartment for a bit, I relaxed and listened to some music. I took my dog on a walk and went to get a coffee at Tim Horton's to just not worry about it. I was only down $10. I just needed to let it go, and not worry about my game. I actually came back, but decided to wait even more, and I sat down to watch a movie.
This post is actually being posted a couple days, so I can't really think of any remarkable hands (ironic that I can remember the one I lost so brutally like I just played the hand...). But when I eventually returned, I can't really explain it. I thought through EVERY hand, focused on watching players so intensely, and within 2 hours, I recovered my $50ish that I had lost.
I thought about quitting. I was back up, I didn't really need any more. I could of just let it go and fight another day.
In the end I stayed, which for me for some reason is usually a bad thing. The last thing I wanted was for me to loosen up because I was "up" now. I honed in even more, turning off any distractions around me. I left with an additional $50!
I really don't have much to say as this post is a few days later from me being away, but I was ecstatic. I think the best thing I could of done for myself, is my few hour break.
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Day 2 Crash
So day 2 was last night. It was a disaster. Needless to say I'm going to take a little break today. It was intense though. It was another 7 hour session. I got Aces cracked twice, 3 times I flopped (flopped!!!) the nut flush against top pair or a set just to have them make a runner-runner boat. And once I got a set of threes in against pocket tens, just to get a ten on the river.
It was just a bad night of poker. At one point, I lost ALL my winnings from day one, plus and extra $20.00. I was going to quit then, which I probably still should of, but I kept playing and luckily made it back into the green by about $35. So I was still down by $30, but I wasn't down over all, which made my night a bit better.
When I finally quit, it was because I was thinking about one of the very first poker books I ever read. Hold'em Wisdom For All Players by Daniel Negreanu. He talked about how he would read of people having these great sessions; they would play 6 hours, win $50, play 7 hours, win another $50. Then, they would have this 14 hour session where they lose $400. The problem is knowing when to quit. This is what I thought of when I ended up calling it a night. There was always another day.
It was just a bad night of poker. At one point, I lost ALL my winnings from day one, plus and extra $20.00. I was going to quit then, which I probably still should of, but I kept playing and luckily made it back into the green by about $35. So I was still down by $30, but I wasn't down over all, which made my night a bit better.
When I finally quit, it was because I was thinking about one of the very first poker books I ever read. Hold'em Wisdom For All Players by Daniel Negreanu. He talked about how he would read of people having these great sessions; they would play 6 hours, win $50, play 7 hours, win another $50. Then, they would have this 14 hour session where they lose $400. The problem is knowing when to quit. This is what I thought of when I ended up calling it a night. There was always another day.
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Day 1 - Better than I could have imagined!
Day one: 23/01/2012
Game: 0.10/0.25 NLH Buy-in $25
Session: 6 hours
So day one has avoided catastrophe. I was really nervous for some reason. I feel like this blog adds pressure, because I really didn't want my first post to be about me being down $50. But I knew my BR strategy would help with any variance, so I mustered up some confidence, and away I went.
I really am not that big into multi-tabling, but sometimes I can handle 2 tables, so that's what I did. I sat down at two .10/.25 tables. It started off fairly slow. I played slightly conservative while I got a feel for the table, but quickly realized that one of my tables was really conservative. I thought about leaving because I had in mind that I wouldn't win much if no one will call much, but I decided to just hold out, and see if I could abuse some players.
There is a mistake that I always make: over playing AK. Calling the flop, and then chasing down with two overs. If the bet is small enough, one card probably wouldn't be that big of a deal for me... but sometimes I just play it so dumb.
This time I didn't! Which was good news :). I got AK a couple times during the session, and my mistake was always in the back of my mind. It was fresh too because the other day I was doing really well in a tournament, made a small ball raise with AK, and called someone's shove of 65BB and put in my 35 BB. To be honest I thought they were bluffing, and that's why the over bet. However, I thought exactly what they wanted me to think, and they turned over AA.
Yeah, the chances of it being AA are slim... but I don't need to play for all my chips when I have 35 Big Blinds left and there isn't even a flop yet. Even if he didn't have AA, it probably still wouldn\t have been worth it.
This time I managed to avoid this mistake, and it really paid off. I held it together and didn't spew any chips away.
The next vital hand was shortly after against a player named Amicv20. I was sitting in the small blind, and he was one off the button. I had 63s, Amicv20 limps in, I call the $0.15 SB, and the BB checks.
Flop hits 3 6 3 and I laugh out loud (good thing it wasn't a live game. The flop is checked all the way, and the turn gives us a 5. I check, BB checks, and Amicv20 makes a small bet. The bet looked weak, and so I just smooth call trying to look weak with slight hope that BB might try a squeeze play. BB ends up folding, but that's ok because my contingency plan was setting up a big check-raise on the river, which smooth calling does quite well.
The river was a Q, and I check. Amicv20 tanks for a few seconds, and then comes in with a fairly big raise. I liked the Queen because had he made his turn bet with two overs like KQ of AQ, he now thinks he is in really good shape. This was actually pretty naive of me, because as I will explain, I didn't need to worry about that at all. I "tank," really just thinking... "How do I get it all in the middle?" and in the end decide that a 3 bet would best case scenario make him think I'm trying to steal it, or worst case scenario he puts me on a weak Q or a 5 and smooth calls.
I think it was the best case scenario because he shoved all in over the top. I insta-call. The only had I feared was QQ, but I just couldn't see him not betting pre-flop with QQ, so I call and turn over my 63s.
He turns over A3, a devastating lose for him, and I quickly realized all of my "tanking" and playing was uneccesary; we could of had it all in on the flop. The play destroyed him I think and he later fell apart, spewing chips and eventually went in 2 off under-the-gun with KJo.
Game: 0.10/0.25 NLH Buy-in $25
Session: 6 hours
So day one has avoided catastrophe. I was really nervous for some reason. I feel like this blog adds pressure, because I really didn't want my first post to be about me being down $50. But I knew my BR strategy would help with any variance, so I mustered up some confidence, and away I went.
I really am not that big into multi-tabling, but sometimes I can handle 2 tables, so that's what I did. I sat down at two .10/.25 tables. It started off fairly slow. I played slightly conservative while I got a feel for the table, but quickly realized that one of my tables was really conservative. I thought about leaving because I had in mind that I wouldn't win much if no one will call much, but I decided to just hold out, and see if I could abuse some players.
There is a mistake that I always make: over playing AK. Calling the flop, and then chasing down with two overs. If the bet is small enough, one card probably wouldn't be that big of a deal for me... but sometimes I just play it so dumb.
This time I didn't! Which was good news :). I got AK a couple times during the session, and my mistake was always in the back of my mind. It was fresh too because the other day I was doing really well in a tournament, made a small ball raise with AK, and called someone's shove of 65BB and put in my 35 BB. To be honest I thought they were bluffing, and that's why the over bet. However, I thought exactly what they wanted me to think, and they turned over AA.
Yeah, the chances of it being AA are slim... but I don't need to play for all my chips when I have 35 Big Blinds left and there isn't even a flop yet. Even if he didn't have AA, it probably still wouldn\t have been worth it.
This time I managed to avoid this mistake, and it really paid off. I held it together and didn't spew any chips away.
The next vital hand was shortly after against a player named Amicv20. I was sitting in the small blind, and he was one off the button. I had 63s, Amicv20 limps in, I call the $0.15 SB, and the BB checks.
Flop hits 3 6 3 and I laugh out loud (good thing it wasn't a live game. The flop is checked all the way, and the turn gives us a 5. I check, BB checks, and Amicv20 makes a small bet. The bet looked weak, and so I just smooth call trying to look weak with slight hope that BB might try a squeeze play. BB ends up folding, but that's ok because my contingency plan was setting up a big check-raise on the river, which smooth calling does quite well.
The river was a Q, and I check. Amicv20 tanks for a few seconds, and then comes in with a fairly big raise. I liked the Queen because had he made his turn bet with two overs like KQ of AQ, he now thinks he is in really good shape. This was actually pretty naive of me, because as I will explain, I didn't need to worry about that at all. I "tank," really just thinking... "How do I get it all in the middle?" and in the end decide that a 3 bet would best case scenario make him think I'm trying to steal it, or worst case scenario he puts me on a weak Q or a 5 and smooth calls.
I think it was the best case scenario because he shoved all in over the top. I insta-call. The only had I feared was QQ, but I just couldn't see him not betting pre-flop with QQ, so I call and turn over my 63s.
He turns over A3, a devastating lose for him, and I quickly realized all of my "tanking" and playing was uneccesary; we could of had it all in on the flop. The play destroyed him I think and he later fell apart, spewing chips and eventually went in 2 off under-the-gun with KJo.
Then, I don't know if I was just getting tired or what, but I fell apart a little. I think the winning got me over excited and I loosened up too much. I lost $7 chasing a flush too long. Flop a flush draw, turn
gives me a gut shot, so I call for the river, but I miss. After this my play just seems to go down hill.
All the sudden I'm down over all. I was a little bit stressed, but really focused on not letting it get me down. I figured I would just refocus, tighten up, and play my game. Then another big turn around came. This one would make Negreanu happy, with 10 - 7 of diamonds.
I'm two off the button, and call a standard raise hoping to bring the BB in with me to make a three-way pot with my suited semi-connector. The small blind actually raises it another dollar, and the BB folds, and the original raiser calls. I figure I now have more than 4-1 odds, so I don't like it, but I smooth call to see if I can hit something decent, and if not, I'll throw it away.
The flop is 3d 6d Jc. I actually really like this flop. If they were raising/calling with AK or AQ, I'm in good shape for a bluff, because I only smooth called, so I could easily represent AJ. In the end, I decide I will check and hope for a free card though. In my mind I knew, if there was another bet, I was weary from my last chasing a flush, so I was going to throw it away, but checks all around.
The turn is 4d! I immediately start thinking, I'm in late position, what can I bet that will get the most money, but not allow someone to draw to a higher flush, etc. Both my opponents had less than $10, and I wanted it all.
My strategizing was pointless... SB shoves for around $6, and my oppenant reshoves for another $9. I take a second to think, "does someone have a higher flush?" but decided if that was the case, someone would probably toss out a bet on the flop with a nut flush draw, if anything to steal the pot, but also to disguise if they make their flush. I call.
SB turns over snowmen, and I win the side pot with my 10 high flush, and my opponent turns over a couple cowboys without a higher flush draw. The river comes a 10c, and I rake in $26.66.
Pretty good, and I'm about ready to go. A little later though, on my super conservative table, I am up against 2 opponents with KQo. I missed the flop but I decide to take a stab at it for $1.60. there is a flush draw on the board, and each player smooth calls, looking pretty weak.
The turn pairs the board with another 3. I decide if they had nothing before, they probably don't have anything now, and if they were chasing a flush, they just missed. These players are all so conservative, so if I bet big as if I had top pair (or even took a stab with bottom pair and turned trips), they can't call. So I nervously (luckily its not live) toss out $4. One player folds, while the other tanks. I click "fold to any bet" assuming he is about to come over the top. Much to my relief, he folds, and I take in another $8 with a big bluff.
In the end, I left up $65.93! Not a bad start for day one, and sitting at a micro-stakes table. Hopefully I have other good days. I know they won't all be like this one, but I'm off to a good start leaving my current BR = $1048.50.
Below is a link to PTR, where it has one of my sessions. I don't know if it works, and I don't know why it doesn't have the other session, but things are going smoothly, and let's hope they stay that way.
All the sudden I'm down over all. I was a little bit stressed, but really focused on not letting it get me down. I figured I would just refocus, tighten up, and play my game. Then another big turn around came. This one would make Negreanu happy, with 10 - 7 of diamonds.
I'm two off the button, and call a standard raise hoping to bring the BB in with me to make a three-way pot with my suited semi-connector. The small blind actually raises it another dollar, and the BB folds, and the original raiser calls. I figure I now have more than 4-1 odds, so I don't like it, but I smooth call to see if I can hit something decent, and if not, I'll throw it away.
The flop is 3d 6d Jc. I actually really like this flop. If they were raising/calling with AK or AQ, I'm in good shape for a bluff, because I only smooth called, so I could easily represent AJ. In the end, I decide I will check and hope for a free card though. In my mind I knew, if there was another bet, I was weary from my last chasing a flush, so I was going to throw it away, but checks all around.
The turn is 4d! I immediately start thinking, I'm in late position, what can I bet that will get the most money, but not allow someone to draw to a higher flush, etc. Both my opponents had less than $10, and I wanted it all.
My strategizing was pointless... SB shoves for around $6, and my oppenant reshoves for another $9. I take a second to think, "does someone have a higher flush?" but decided if that was the case, someone would probably toss out a bet on the flop with a nut flush draw, if anything to steal the pot, but also to disguise if they make their flush. I call.
SB turns over snowmen, and I win the side pot with my 10 high flush, and my opponent turns over a couple cowboys without a higher flush draw. The river comes a 10c, and I rake in $26.66.
Pretty good, and I'm about ready to go. A little later though, on my super conservative table, I am up against 2 opponents with KQo. I missed the flop but I decide to take a stab at it for $1.60. there is a flush draw on the board, and each player smooth calls, looking pretty weak.
The turn pairs the board with another 3. I decide if they had nothing before, they probably don't have anything now, and if they were chasing a flush, they just missed. These players are all so conservative, so if I bet big as if I had top pair (or even took a stab with bottom pair and turned trips), they can't call. So I nervously (luckily its not live) toss out $4. One player folds, while the other tanks. I click "fold to any bet" assuming he is about to come over the top. Much to my relief, he folds, and I take in another $8 with a big bluff.
In the end, I left up $65.93! Not a bad start for day one, and sitting at a micro-stakes table. Hopefully I have other good days. I know they won't all be like this one, but I'm off to a good start leaving my current BR = $1048.50.
Below is a link to PTR, where it has one of my sessions. I don't know if it works, and I don't know why it doesn't have the other session, but things are going smoothly, and let's hope they stay that way.
Small Stackers
So I've developed a pretty good method, which I'm well aware is not a new strategy. I didn't come up with it myself, but I've done a pretty good job implementing it.
As always, at every table, you have your "short stackers." People who will buy in for the least possible amount of money. Sometimes it isn't always the lowest possible, but it's often pretty low.
On the tables I play on, $0.10/$0.25, the standard (and the max) is $25. However often we'll have 2 or 3 (sometimes 4) players who will buy-in for $10. I like playing and picking on these people. They tend to play really conservative, always hoping to flop the nutz.
I understand where they're coming from with their strategy, but it just makes it way to easy. Maybe I tend to be over aggressive, but I just feel like you can't put enough pressure on if you have less than 50% of everyone else at the table.
If I go all in against you, I'll still have more than half my stack, even if I lose.
The other reason I like them, as I said before, is they tend to play ultra-conservative. They make small raises, or limp, hoping to flop big. This makes them wide open to bluffs since they don't have as much protection and cushion against loses. Some of my biggest bluffs are against these players.
All in all, while I'm sure they are thinking about protecting their money by buying in for such a small amount, in reality they are opening themselves up to pressure that they have made it impossible to for them to respond too. I think it would just be smarter to play conservatively, but buy-in for the full $25.00.
As always, at every table, you have your "short stackers." People who will buy in for the least possible amount of money. Sometimes it isn't always the lowest possible, but it's often pretty low.
On the tables I play on, $0.10/$0.25, the standard (and the max) is $25. However often we'll have 2 or 3 (sometimes 4) players who will buy-in for $10. I like playing and picking on these people. They tend to play really conservative, always hoping to flop the nutz.
I understand where they're coming from with their strategy, but it just makes it way to easy. Maybe I tend to be over aggressive, but I just feel like you can't put enough pressure on if you have less than 50% of everyone else at the table.
If I go all in against you, I'll still have more than half my stack, even if I lose.
The other reason I like them, as I said before, is they tend to play ultra-conservative. They make small raises, or limp, hoping to flop big. This makes them wide open to bluffs since they don't have as much protection and cushion against loses. Some of my biggest bluffs are against these players.
All in all, while I'm sure they are thinking about protecting their money by buying in for such a small amount, in reality they are opening themselves up to pressure that they have made it impossible to for them to respond too. I think it would just be smarter to play conservatively, but buy-in for the full $25.00.
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