Practice?!? You talkin' bout practice?!?

It was so hot out today I barely ventured outside. Damn this heat. Damn the human body too. I’ve been on my ass for 2 days with some crazy thing. Ah well.

I played in my first live multi-table tournament Sunday night. It’s a 24 person game, top 7 cash, and it’s a double buyin, with the 2nd half of the buyin going to a final match. In the final match, chips are distrubuted based on points accumulated in the "regular season". I’m looking forward to it, and I think it will be quite profitable. I took 6th and added 50% to my buyin. I should have done better, but I’ll take it. The best hands I had were AQ (2x unsuited and 1x suited) and 7's were my only pocket pair. The competition is pretty soft, and as long as I don’t completely fall apart, I should cash on a very regular basis. It’s very nice playing NL live. Tells mean so much more than in limit. Actually, tells can be exploited more in NL. Twice I was able to get away from hands, and I felted someone based on tells. Thank you Mr. Caro. I'm playing with my girlfriend, who exited the game first. In less than one orbit of an 8-man table (sorry, 8-person), she lost with QQ and AA. Live poker is rigged. The government should outlaw it or something.

My move up has been marvelous (so far...). I find the game quite a bit softer. I don’t know if it’s the larger bets, but aggression is rewarded. There is no room to be passive. You will either let people catch up, or get sucked dry by slow players. Play fast, make people define their hands. I’ve been using the isolation play more often with middle pair. I think this is making me money. Actually, to define it better, I would say it’s losing me less money. Let me know if that doesn’t make sense and I’ll clarify. I’ve also been using the one-limper raise w/ my medium strength hands (medium Aces, KQ, KJ). This usually eliminates the blinds, and a continuation bet does wonders. A few of these plays executed properly can be the difference between a good session and a great session.

Other than the pain I’m in, today was in my top 3 earners for the year, and I played less than 1k hands. I played well, but having quads twice didn't hurt. This is a nice way to end July. August will be a difficult month with my schedule. Getting 10k hands in has been a struggle.

I’ve also been playing in $4 180 player Sit-n-Go’s. They are painful, but I look at them as a great tool for tournament practice. I had my first cash in one. Made the final table and pushed with JTc from the button and was called by AA in the SB. Oops. My bad. It was 9th place and a $12 cash. *cue that record scratching double take sound* It was 9th place and a $12 cash. That’s right, 2 big bets. Remember that Iverson sound byte? Practice?!? Practice?!? You talking bout practice?!? Yes I am.

Movin' on Up

After just under 50k hands at my current level, the time has come to move up. I've stated in prior posts that I don't like the structure at this level, but screw it. I'm not really pleased with my win rate at my current level (1.85BB/100), but I've had 2 swings down over the last 15k hands, and that coupled with some other factors contribute to a bankroll that just doesn't grow fast enough.

I find the play at this level to be identical to the previous level, if not more predictable. It's easier to push people around, and I seems quite a bit easier to create the table image I like to have.

Speaking of table image, it's something I've been struggling with lately. With my playing style (SLAA on PT), I find there is no middle ground for table image. I play big hands and big draws, and if I go several orbits without hitting anything, it can get frustrating, causing me to play far too many hands. This further degrades my table image, to the point where I spew and it's quite a challenge to recover from that. On the other hand, if I flop good hands early in a session and get to play with a bigger stack, I can move people off of stacks and kill a table. The funny thing is that it's one extreme or another. There is no middle ground. I think in August I will concentrate on table image and perhaps leave a couple of tables when my table image is suffering and see if that helps out.

Blind Play: I try to review all of the hands I play on a daily basis. In doing this, I've found yet another leak. My play of small to medium Aces (suited and non) from the blinds is horrible! I tend to spew chips in these situations. Also I'm trying to be more aggressive in my blind defense, but having trouble reading hands from the blinds.

Now I have projects for August:
-Stay at the level one up (from now on known as the "current level") from my home for almost 50k hands for the entire month and make the same amount I aim for every month.
-Experiment with changing tables when table image turns against me. Not to be confused with running bad mind you.
-Work on my blind play. This means staying tight, yet aggressive. Defending when appropriate, and learning when to release mediocre hands.

Review of July's projects:

Win % of Showdowns: Since making a point of this on 22 June, over almost 14k hands I am at 51.13%. Not great, but a huge improvement. I'll take it. It's a bit low, but I win almost 38.69% of the time when I see the flop. I think this is an important stat (even if no one agrees with me).

Position Play: I'm doing much better with this. For some reason I'm seeing too many hands from the SB (more than the BB). Odd. I'm really pleased with my play from under the gun, and I show a profit in every seat but the blinds for the above referenced time period (although I think every one is).

That's all. Sorry for the long entry. Good Luck at the tables!

A relatively poker-free weekend...

What a weekend. I had a great Friday night / Saturday AM, netting about 100BB. I even threw some play in there at the next level up, and I really don’t like the blind structure at that level. The bankroll is right where it should be going into August. On Saturday morning I had AA 8 times over 796 hands. Quite impressive, but safely trumped by the fact that they held up every single time. I was dealt a couple of bad beats in monstrous pots, but overall the cards ran well and I made good decisions.

Here’s one hand from Saturday AM:
I’m dealt 88 in MP. It’s folded to me; I raise and get called by MP2 & both blinds. I didn’t like that at all. I was hoping to thin the field.
The flop comes out Kd, 4s, 8s. A set for me and possible flush draw for someone. It’s checked to me, I bet and am called by MP2 (45/20/2.1) and the small blind (55/15.5/.8) These 2 could have anything. Small blind has a couple of big bets left, and MP2 was hitting everything and playing like a madman. The turn was a Jc. Ok, now we’ve got possible straight draws. I bet, get raised by MP2, 3-bet by small blind! I call, as did MP2. I feel like I’m just along for the ride at this point. The river was Ah. SB bets his last fifty cents, I make it a full big bet, and MP2 folds! SB had Qs7s, and I get a nice 15.63BB pot. Unreal…

Over the last 11k hands I’m 19/10/2 with a 51.55% W$SD. I’m really pleased with my play this month. Although in reviewing my hands, I’ve found a pretty significant leak. Ax (both suited & un-suited) hands from the blinds are horrible! I tend to over-play them. I either win small pots or lose large ones. This is a leak I need to plug. I think I found my August project.

After Saturday morning, I had an entirely poker-free weekend, which is abnormal, since about 70% of my hands are played between Friday evening and Monday morning. I went to a get-together at a good friends house on Saturday. What a great time. I guess I should get out more… Sunday was more of the same, and by the time I got home at 8:30pm on Sunday, I was exhausted.

Oh, one more thing. I’ll be participating in a live “tournament league” beginning this week. I consider NL tourneys the second-weakest part of my game (NL online cash games being weakest), and I look forward to this opportunity to improve. I finally started HOH, and I hope to be through it in a week or two.

Tournies & Rambling

Tournaments: I've been trying to play 4 or 5 NL tourneys per week. It will be tough this and next month, but I would like to be a consistent casher by the time winter gets here and I have more time to devote to playing. Last week I had some frustrating hands. Three tournies in a row (all Stars 10+1 @ 19:45) I got it in with the best hand and lost to either a coin flip or 2 outer. Bummer! It's really frustrating. Last night I made a play that I thought was right but in hindsight may have been dumb. Blinds were 100 & 200, I made it 600 with TT. I had one all-in caller and 2 others call pre-flop. Both callers had me well covered. The flop came 8d,5d,5h. I pushed. My logic was to get rid of strong Aces (what I thought both players had) and any possible flush draws. I was called by an opponent with 88 and lost to the boat. Out in about 220th out of almost 1200. I only had 2k chips after my pre-flop raise. I would have normally bet 1k, but with just 2k left, I pushed. I really thought I had the best hand and wanted to at least take down the side pot.

In tournament play I find that I can navigate through about 60 to 75% of the field with relative ease, but I don't accumulate chips well at all. This leaves me shortstacked when the ante's start and I'm forced to play a different game than I'm comfortable with. I'm learing how to bet in the early stages, but in the middle stages of a tourney I'm far too passive. I need to work on that. I also need to read HOH. I meant to read it while on vacation and still haven't. Oh, I had pocket Aces twice in the first 4 hands of the tourney last night and got no action. Netted fewer than 100 chips. Bummer man.

My Regular Game: It's going well. Over the last 60 days, I've gone from a player with a 21 to 25 VP$IP to 17 to 19 (full ring games). I haven't made a conscious decision to tighten up, it just happened. The only thing I can think of is that my 4k foray into a limit 2 over my regular caused me to change my game. At first I was losing with the new strategy, but over the last 5k hands, I've had a nice turnaround. If I continue on this path, I'll actually be making about 50% more in the bb/100 department. I'm not holding my breath, but it's nice to be back on track.

Observation: I knew how to win with a "slightly" loose playing style. I have to say that I'm finding that changing my numbers isn't enough. In fact I can have perfect numbers and still lose if I'm not playing properly, and spewing chips a few times a session. Style of play matters less than knowing how to beat your opponent. It's just like in no limit when you're up against someone and the cards don't matter. I know I can beat the level I'm at playing loose, but in order to be successful as I move up the ladder, I need to learn how to win with a tighter style.

Back and Rockin'

Miscellaneous: Well, I went away for the 4th of July. What fun it was! Spent a day in the casino as part of a deal that had me camping for an extra couple of days. Not sure it was worth it. They had the 3/6 game going for a couple of hours, but I got my hand slapped for soliciting the 2/4 games for players. OOPS! I was even when the 3/6 broke up and stepped into a 2/4 game. There was one player there that bluffs about 2/3’s of the time. It’s lots of fun to play him. I should have retired for the day, but I couldn’t resist. I ended up staying later than I should have, and giving back about 30% of my winnings from the week before. I need to learn to quit the game at a time other than when I can’t stay awake any more. Idiot!!
One more thing. Camping in a motor home is great. There really is nothing like waking up, starting the generator and making coffee. It’s great. I even showered and used the AC. It’s a tough life.

Back to the grind: It’s great to be back to a regular schedule. I finally got to play in a CP tourney last night rather than logging in and blinding my chips off for the points. I think I played fairly well. I had one questionable hand where I made a significant raise pre-flop and was called. I made a set on the flop and a blank came on the turn. I went all in and was called by an opponent with 5 7 for a straight. Other than that I was a bit passive on a couple of hands but overall didn’t play poorly. I would have liked to have made the final table, but I’ll settle for a bit better than half of the field. I need to make the final table next week.

My game: June was a rough month for me. I don’t know what threw me off, but I was off. Technically speaking it was my worst month ever. This month seems to be back to normal, but for July & August I anticipate playing 50 to 75% of the hands I normally do. I expect this to have a negative effect on my game. I’ll have to work through it.

Projects:
Position play -- I’m doing a ton better with this, making more money in late position, and losing less from the blinds. I’m going to keep concentrating on this for the remainder of the month.

Betting with Draws -- I’ve been switching this up. In some cases I’m 3-betting/capping with a draw to the nuts, and in others I’m letting others value bet for me when I’m drawing to a flush or straight that isn’t the nuts. It’s making me the bets it should when I hit. Now if only I could hit more of my draws. J

Monthly Goal: I’m almost there. I hope to have made it by the 25th, with the rest padding the bankroll for my eventual move up 2 limits. I’d like to do that by years end.

Pain: I think I broke a finger water skiing while on vacation. I love the water and water sports in general, but I think the time has come for me to retire from sports with a risk of bodily injury. Age…Like variance, it’s a bitch…