A lot has happened poker-wise in the past two weeks for me. I've made over 14k in tournament profit. 3 first place finishes, a third place finish and an eighth place finish in the daily guaranteed tournaments. I was pretty happy, I was on fire really. I was making some of the best moves I've ever made. I kept adjusting to the table conditions and stayed focused. That makes all the difference in the world.
Anyways, this past week my game has gone downhill. I started playing 1 vs 1 cash games for 400 dollar buyins. The first guy was on my level and challenged me way beyond what I'm used to. After a couple different games I went on a horrible cooler. Every hand seemed to somehow be dominated or cracked at some point. And then I found this player.. she was a maniac in every way and I knew she had no chance, her plays were horribly stupid and I made a couple heroic calls while playing her. But, it started happening again, bad beat after bad beat. I mean, thats part of poker right? This just went on for the whole time I played her. Its the most frustrating thing when you know you can beat someone and yet everytime you get your money in with the best of it, a miracle two outer hits. No, I'm not complaining because skill in the long-run wins.
I've noticed my entire game is coming undone. I've been acting on impulse rather than knowledge. I went on major tilt after that headsup match. Somehow I've managed to keep my bankroll under control but my game is not where it was. I've taken a break for about 4 days now, been reading a lot more and posting on the forums. Tonight I have to play though, I'm in the 250k guaranteed tournament, the only one of the month. I just hope I can discipline myself to make correct decisions. I'm not caring about the outcome right now, I just want to have the patience to play the correct way. Sometimes it just really destroys your confidence when you find yourself making the right plays and the other player is still being rewarded. Variance is an evil thing.
I feel like in the next month I'm going to be put to the test a lot. My love for the game has already been challenged. I'm going to have to work hard, study more and somehow acquire more stamina. I need to eat healthier too. Poker is such a complex game. Its a constant mental battle. My own toughest opponent is always going to be myself. I just read a good quote "the expert player is not someone who wins every time they sit down at the table, simply they are the ones who win more in the long run than they lose" I need to keep that in mind.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Monday, February 9, 2009
Top of the Game
So, it is 8 am on my day off. I haven't been able to sleep in for two weeks now. I feel stuck. Everything is at a standstill, I'm just waiting for April. I don't even care about my birthday really. I don't plan on doing much, hopefully I'll be able to stay home though. I want to see the world. I want to have the freedom and money to go places with the people I love, and have nothing to worry about as far as finances. I know I can make it happen. I have the results. My game is continually improving everyday and just this week I found I'm crushing the 1/2 dollar games. Yeah, I skipped two levels from the 25c/50c and moved straight to the 1/2 dollar games. This is 6 max of course. It just feels so natural.
When I'm in the zone, I feel like no one can stop me. I am spot on with every single read, every single move. I know when to change gears, pull back and wait. And I know when to put the pressure on by turning up my aggression. I haven't found a single player who has really earned my respect. They're all the same. They either play super tight and allow me to run right over them or they play loose and call me down without a hand. Somehow I always have a hand at the right time, or my luck factors in.
I think some people are just born lucky. Like certain people (Me) are much luckier than others. I've had down days, where the cards seem like they want to eat me and my bankroll alive..but they don't last very long and always are followed by a huge streak of crazy luck. Thats why a lot of people don't respect my play. And I prefer it like that, catches them off guard. Easier for me in the long run. I don't rely on my luck, I make it. Simple as that. I create spots to get lucky, and when it happens, it is such a rush. Reminds me of Doyle Brunson, he was always saying how you have to use your luck to your advantage and get creative. You can't play abc poker all the time, especially up at the higher stakes.
I was never good with abc poker to begin with, the first thing I ever got down in poker was aggression. To most players, thats the thing they struggle with, thats what they learn last. I believe I have an advantage when it comes to that, it is just finding the balance in between that I need. Once I get the balance of it all down, its pure art. There are so many skills that you need to get to the highest levels of the game, so many things that factor in. I know I'm talented, but it takes more than that. Just like any athlete who dreams of going to the olympics, you won't get there just because you know you're already good. It is the ones who constantly push themselves, who constantly strive to be better that make it.
There are days where I know I'm playing perfect poker. Where you just feel in the zone completely, you know what to do before your opponents do it, you know what they are going to do and you plan ahead, You know what they think you'll do, You're constantly thinking 3 steps ahead, you're completely aware of your image at the table and how it affects the rest of the players... thats 3rd level thinking, like an intricate game of chess. Only a few players get to that level. Even fewer hold onto that level. I'd almost say that poker on the highest levels is deeper than chess. There are just so many factors that play in and when you are at the top of your game, as I said, it is pure art.
I feel like I'm right on the edge of it. Some days its there and other days I'm so close I can feel it and yet one little mistake takes me away from it. Of course, when you're playing against really bad players (many of them are) you can't use 3rd level thinking because they are too stupid to notice you. They only play their cards. And that has always been a problem for me too. It is so much easier to play against average to good players than to play against bad players who are too stupid to make the right move, to be manipulated. With completely bad players, its just basic abc poker. You can't get creative, because they don't have the knowledge or observance to notice you at all. Patience plays a big part there. Maybe that is why it feels easier as I move up the limits, better players making it easier for me to outplay them simply because they are more aware of the game. This must sound pretty crazy to an outsider. It is hard to explain the whole concept. You have to actually play the game to really understand... and even then I doubt half the players online even get this.
You know what really bothers me? People who try to argue that poker is just all luck. That the only edge any professional has is their reading skills. Being able to fold their hands. Well, you know what, keep on thinking that people, because that just gives those of us who are serious about the game an even bigger edge. It is true that reading people is something that you need in order to be at the top. Being able to notice you're beat and fold to a better hand is also something you need to learn, but it is my understanding that people fold too much. They are too afraid. They play by the book. They make the "correct play" in every spot, rather than thinking outside the box. That is why there are so many average poker players. That is why I take your money. :P Sometimes the correct play is not the winning play. Every situation is different. Poker is a game of people, a game of incomplete information. You can't always fold KJ suited in early position. You can't always limp in with a good hand in your small blind. You have to constantly be adjusting.
And even if I sit here and tell you exactly what you need to do to improve your game, chances are it won't help you too much. You have to have a "feel" for the game. It is quite hard to explain. When you're in the moment and faced with a tough decision it comes down to your experience for one, but another thing that many people overlook is your natural intuition. It is something that you develop with experience of course, but some people have more of a feel for the game than others. Sometimes you just KNOW that the guy has pocket aces, even before you play the hand. Or that the decent hand you have is going to end up as a bad beat. Call me crazy, but its just a natural instinct. This happens to me sometimes but when I'm really playing my A game I'm absolutely on fire. I know people who have amazing instincts for the game. And as I said earlier, some people are naturally lucky. I know I've avoided many bad beats simply because of other players acting before me and changing the dynamics of the current game..hence changing my decisions. Its all about the people and situations.
Okay enough of my "insight" and rambling, I'm sure there are many people who may disagree with me on certain things I've said. That is completely fine with me. But this is only a small bit of what it takes to make it. I'm going to get there. Oh yes :)
Oh, and one last thing. It really bothers me how the moment a man finds out you're a female player, he wants to run right over you. It makes me laugh too. Goodluck with that guys, not happening here. Although, there are so many female players who really have no business playing because they are just so.. weak. Don't get me wrong, I've seen a few pro's who definately know what they are doing at the table, like, Jennifer Harmon, Evelyn Ng, Annette Obrestad, Joanne Liu, and Mimi Tran. I respect their games but that is only 5 people out of thousands. I'd like to point out that Annette is the only one who started online at an early age (like me) and made the switch over to live poker easily. I believe online players have quite an edge over the rest. There is tougher competition online, constantly a new challenge. We also see a lot more hands than live players. I'll always be partial to online play. Its just so much more convenient. I hear most of the highstakes action is moving online too.
Anyways I should end this post :P Next time I'll post more of my results. I really need to find a good statistics program for the Cake network. Please message me if you know of one. (Poker tracker doesn't support it as far as I know.. not sure about Holdem Manager)
-Sydney-
When I'm in the zone, I feel like no one can stop me. I am spot on with every single read, every single move. I know when to change gears, pull back and wait. And I know when to put the pressure on by turning up my aggression. I haven't found a single player who has really earned my respect. They're all the same. They either play super tight and allow me to run right over them or they play loose and call me down without a hand. Somehow I always have a hand at the right time, or my luck factors in.
I think some people are just born lucky. Like certain people (Me) are much luckier than others. I've had down days, where the cards seem like they want to eat me and my bankroll alive..but they don't last very long and always are followed by a huge streak of crazy luck. Thats why a lot of people don't respect my play. And I prefer it like that, catches them off guard. Easier for me in the long run. I don't rely on my luck, I make it. Simple as that. I create spots to get lucky, and when it happens, it is such a rush. Reminds me of Doyle Brunson, he was always saying how you have to use your luck to your advantage and get creative. You can't play abc poker all the time, especially up at the higher stakes.
I was never good with abc poker to begin with, the first thing I ever got down in poker was aggression. To most players, thats the thing they struggle with, thats what they learn last. I believe I have an advantage when it comes to that, it is just finding the balance in between that I need. Once I get the balance of it all down, its pure art. There are so many skills that you need to get to the highest levels of the game, so many things that factor in. I know I'm talented, but it takes more than that. Just like any athlete who dreams of going to the olympics, you won't get there just because you know you're already good. It is the ones who constantly push themselves, who constantly strive to be better that make it.
There are days where I know I'm playing perfect poker. Where you just feel in the zone completely, you know what to do before your opponents do it, you know what they are going to do and you plan ahead, You know what they think you'll do, You're constantly thinking 3 steps ahead, you're completely aware of your image at the table and how it affects the rest of the players... thats 3rd level thinking, like an intricate game of chess. Only a few players get to that level. Even fewer hold onto that level. I'd almost say that poker on the highest levels is deeper than chess. There are just so many factors that play in and when you are at the top of your game, as I said, it is pure art.
I feel like I'm right on the edge of it. Some days its there and other days I'm so close I can feel it and yet one little mistake takes me away from it. Of course, when you're playing against really bad players (many of them are) you can't use 3rd level thinking because they are too stupid to notice you. They only play their cards. And that has always been a problem for me too. It is so much easier to play against average to good players than to play against bad players who are too stupid to make the right move, to be manipulated. With completely bad players, its just basic abc poker. You can't get creative, because they don't have the knowledge or observance to notice you at all. Patience plays a big part there. Maybe that is why it feels easier as I move up the limits, better players making it easier for me to outplay them simply because they are more aware of the game. This must sound pretty crazy to an outsider. It is hard to explain the whole concept. You have to actually play the game to really understand... and even then I doubt half the players online even get this.
You know what really bothers me? People who try to argue that poker is just all luck. That the only edge any professional has is their reading skills. Being able to fold their hands. Well, you know what, keep on thinking that people, because that just gives those of us who are serious about the game an even bigger edge. It is true that reading people is something that you need in order to be at the top. Being able to notice you're beat and fold to a better hand is also something you need to learn, but it is my understanding that people fold too much. They are too afraid. They play by the book. They make the "correct play" in every spot, rather than thinking outside the box. That is why there are so many average poker players. That is why I take your money. :P Sometimes the correct play is not the winning play. Every situation is different. Poker is a game of people, a game of incomplete information. You can't always fold KJ suited in early position. You can't always limp in with a good hand in your small blind. You have to constantly be adjusting.
And even if I sit here and tell you exactly what you need to do to improve your game, chances are it won't help you too much. You have to have a "feel" for the game. It is quite hard to explain. When you're in the moment and faced with a tough decision it comes down to your experience for one, but another thing that many people overlook is your natural intuition. It is something that you develop with experience of course, but some people have more of a feel for the game than others. Sometimes you just KNOW that the guy has pocket aces, even before you play the hand. Or that the decent hand you have is going to end up as a bad beat. Call me crazy, but its just a natural instinct. This happens to me sometimes but when I'm really playing my A game I'm absolutely on fire. I know people who have amazing instincts for the game. And as I said earlier, some people are naturally lucky. I know I've avoided many bad beats simply because of other players acting before me and changing the dynamics of the current game..hence changing my decisions. Its all about the people and situations.
Okay enough of my "insight" and rambling, I'm sure there are many people who may disagree with me on certain things I've said. That is completely fine with me. But this is only a small bit of what it takes to make it. I'm going to get there. Oh yes :)
Oh, and one last thing. It really bothers me how the moment a man finds out you're a female player, he wants to run right over you. It makes me laugh too. Goodluck with that guys, not happening here. Although, there are so many female players who really have no business playing because they are just so.. weak. Don't get me wrong, I've seen a few pro's who definately know what they are doing at the table, like, Jennifer Harmon, Evelyn Ng, Annette Obrestad, Joanne Liu, and Mimi Tran. I respect their games but that is only 5 people out of thousands. I'd like to point out that Annette is the only one who started online at an early age (like me) and made the switch over to live poker easily. I believe online players have quite an edge over the rest. There is tougher competition online, constantly a new challenge. We also see a lot more hands than live players. I'll always be partial to online play. Its just so much more convenient. I hear most of the highstakes action is moving online too.
Anyways I should end this post :P Next time I'll post more of my results. I really need to find a good statistics program for the Cake network. Please message me if you know of one. (Poker tracker doesn't support it as far as I know.. not sure about Holdem Manager)
-Sydney-
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Owning.
Well, this has been a pretty awesome day. Unfortunately tomorrow I go back to work. Highlights? First of all let me start with yesterday...came in 8th place out of 244 players in the 3k Guaranteed. Only reason I didn't win that tournament was because I started the final table shortstacked (after a bad beat) and had to play push or fold with any playable hand, or the blinds would crush me. Last hand was a coinflip...pushed with 33, A9 offsuit called and hit a 9. Played a good headsup match, busted the guy after 8 hands. Hit a couple of 6 max Sit and Goes, lost a few more coinflips so had 2 second place finishes there. Which is still a good return as far as I'm concerned. (top two out of six are paid)
Took a break and played some guildwars for the first time in quite awhile. It was interesting. My character was quite behind compared to everyone in game though. I had so many quests piled up lol. Then last night I hit up two 25c/50c 6 max ring games at the same time, 30 dollar buy in each. I completely decimated both tables. I am quite convinced now that I need to play many more of those cash games. My style seems to crush every opponent at that level. Not to sound overly confident, just seems quite easy for me. I'm curious as to how things will work out at the higher levels, but I won't be trying those out anytime soon. Midstakes is good enough for now. Anyways, a total of 256 hands played within an hour and a half on those tables. Total profit: $191.05
Now today was better than yesterday in every way. From the first 25c/50c 6 max I jumped into I completely crushed the game. 30 dollar buyin as always, 45 hands this time with a 83.65 dollar profit. Even better, I actually got action on pocket aces woo.
Hand:
Don't you love calling stations? lol. I had been stealing quite a bit of pots so I got paid off nicely with quite a few of my big hands. Aggressive poker is winning poker. Plain and Simple. Later on this afternoon I was waiting for the big 10k guaranteed tournament to start, so I sat down in another 6 max ring game, same results... these are just too easy for me apparently. 77.26 profit within 30 mins.
Now the absolute best part of my day (with the exception of talking to my wonderful boyfriend earlier nothing can top that) I entered the 10k guaranteed deepstack tournament at 1:30 pm. 3000 starting chips and 15 minute blind levels. So there was plenty of time to sit and wait for hands and figure out your opponents. 214 players entered, I played quite tight in the beginning, got in some good spots and doubled up within the first hour. After that I started opening up my game and stealing some blinds. Tightened my range again and waited.
Once the second break rolled by I had a decent chipstack compared to everyone else. I had plenty of time to sit back and watch, and I played very selectively, usually only in position. My stack kind of went up and down for awhile, from 8k to 16k and back to 8k as I made a few plays with drawing hands. I stayed between 14k and 16k for atleast 40 minutes. At one point I was down to 5k chips with blinds at 300/600.
Tightened up my requirements yet again and slowly chipped back up to a commanding lead. (4th position out of 40 players remaining) Since the top 40 got paid the bubble was the perfect time for me to gain that extra edge. I stole a lot of blinds during that time. Hit some good hands around the top 20. I won almost all of my showdowns. Before the final two tables I didn't go to showdown hardly ever though, most of my wins were uncontested steals or continuation bets on the flop, even a few reraise steals.
When it got down to the final table I was the chipleader by far, I decided to play conservative and watch the other players. There were four super shortstacks, they all got knocked out pretty fast. The second person in chiplead I ended up knocking out strangely. The only reason I was even in the hand was because of being forced by the big blind.
Took a break and played some guildwars for the first time in quite awhile. It was interesting. My character was quite behind compared to everyone in game though. I had so many quests piled up lol. Then last night I hit up two 25c/50c 6 max ring games at the same time, 30 dollar buy in each. I completely decimated both tables. I am quite convinced now that I need to play many more of those cash games. My style seems to crush every opponent at that level. Not to sound overly confident, just seems quite easy for me. I'm curious as to how things will work out at the higher levels, but I won't be trying those out anytime soon. Midstakes is good enough for now. Anyways, a total of 256 hands played within an hour and a half on those tables. Total profit: $191.05
Now today was better than yesterday in every way. From the first 25c/50c 6 max I jumped into I completely crushed the game. 30 dollar buyin as always, 45 hands this time with a 83.65 dollar profit. Even better, I actually got action on pocket aces woo.
Hand:
SB ($73.55)
BB ($50)
UTG ($14.65)
MP ($16.25)
CO ($42.95)
Hero (Button) ($59.95)
Preflop: Hero is Button with Ah, Ac
1 fold, MP calls $0.50, 1 fold, Hero raises to $2.25, 2 folds, MP calls $1.75
Flop: ($5.25) Qh, 8c, 5d (2 players)
MP checks, Hero bets $5.25, MP calls $5.25
Turn: ($15.75) 6h (2 players)
MP checks, Hero raises to $52.45 (All-In), MP calls $8.75 (All-In)
River: ($33.25) 2s (2 players, 2 all-in)
Total pot: $33.25 | Rake: $1.65
Results:
Hero had Ah, Ac (one pair, Aces).
MP had 8h, 7s (one pair, eights).
Outcome: Hero won $31.60
BB ($50)
UTG ($14.65)
MP ($16.25)
CO ($42.95)
Hero (Button) ($59.95)
Preflop: Hero is Button with Ah, Ac
1 fold, MP calls $0.50, 1 fold, Hero raises to $2.25, 2 folds, MP calls $1.75
Flop: ($5.25) Qh, 8c, 5d (2 players)
MP checks, Hero bets $5.25, MP calls $5.25
Turn: ($15.75) 6h (2 players)
MP checks, Hero raises to $52.45 (All-In), MP calls $8.75 (All-In)
River: ($33.25) 2s (2 players, 2 all-in)
Total pot: $33.25 | Rake: $1.65
Results:
Hero had Ah, Ac (one pair, Aces).
MP had 8h, 7s (one pair, eights).
Outcome: Hero won $31.60
Don't you love calling stations? lol. I had been stealing quite a bit of pots so I got paid off nicely with quite a few of my big hands. Aggressive poker is winning poker. Plain and Simple. Later on this afternoon I was waiting for the big 10k guaranteed tournament to start, so I sat down in another 6 max ring game, same results... these are just too easy for me apparently. 77.26 profit within 30 mins.
Now the absolute best part of my day (with the exception of talking to my wonderful boyfriend earlier nothing can top that) I entered the 10k guaranteed deepstack tournament at 1:30 pm. 3000 starting chips and 15 minute blind levels. So there was plenty of time to sit and wait for hands and figure out your opponents. 214 players entered, I played quite tight in the beginning, got in some good spots and doubled up within the first hour. After that I started opening up my game and stealing some blinds. Tightened my range again and waited.
Once the second break rolled by I had a decent chipstack compared to everyone else. I had plenty of time to sit back and watch, and I played very selectively, usually only in position. My stack kind of went up and down for awhile, from 8k to 16k and back to 8k as I made a few plays with drawing hands. I stayed between 14k and 16k for atleast 40 minutes. At one point I was down to 5k chips with blinds at 300/600.
Tightened up my requirements yet again and slowly chipped back up to a commanding lead. (4th position out of 40 players remaining) Since the top 40 got paid the bubble was the perfect time for me to gain that extra edge. I stole a lot of blinds during that time. Hit some good hands around the top 20. I won almost all of my showdowns. Before the final two tables I didn't go to showdown hardly ever though, most of my wins were uncontested steals or continuation bets on the flop, even a few reraise steals.
When it got down to the final table I was the chipleader by far, I decided to play conservative and watch the other players. There were four super shortstacks, they all got knocked out pretty fast. The second person in chiplead I ended up knocking out strangely. The only reason I was even in the hand was because of being forced by the big blind.
Here is the hand:
Hero (BB) ($203,534)
UTG ($10,7308)
MP ($78,550)
CO ($54,754)
Button ($66,952)
SB ($130,902)
Preflop: Hero is BB with 2d, Jd
UTG calls $5000, MP calls $5000, 2 folds, SB calls $2500, Hero checks
Flop: ($23000) Ad, 4s, 6d
SB checks, Hero checks, UTG checks, MP bets $17777, 1 fold, Hero raises to $76331, UTG raises to $101808 (All-In), 1 fold, Hero calls $25477
Turn: Kd
River: 2s
Total pot: $244,393
Results:
Hero had 2d, Jd (flush, Ace high).
UTG had 4c, 4h (three of a kind, fours).
Outcome: Hero won $244393
Yeah, so I got super lucky there and that added a huge chip advantage to my already huge stack.
I had a perfect read on the MP dude, so that is the reason for my reraise on the flop, unlucky that the UTG girl had limped in with pockets and hit a set. She played it wrong to begin with though. So really I created my own luck there. After that hand I sailed through with in position steals/took out the rest of the players with superior hands.
We had a lot of rail watchers when it got 3 handed and the other guy Elkm was stealing almost every hand, he eventually took out the very predictable rock: bear2554. That guy was hilarious. He basically told us his strategy through the chat. I had a ton of notes and reads on him. Anyhow, I ran this huge bluff on Elkm because he was berating me in the chat about being a woman and how women are weak. Plus he was getting way too aggressive and needed to be put in his place. lol. I'm pretty sure the bluff pissed him off, he didn't try to play back at me anymore after that though. I didn't have to show him the bluff, but there were a lot of fans watching so I did it for them lol.
Here it is. Pretty sick.
Hero (BB) ($380,873)
Button ($56,219)
SB ($204,908)
Preflop: Hero is BB with 2s, 3d
1 fold, SB raises to $10000, Hero raises to $26500, SB calls $16500
Flop: ($54500) As, 9s, Qd
SB checks, Hero bets $54500, SB calls $54500
Turn: ($163500) 10h
SB checks, Hero checks
River: ($163500) Qc
SB checks, Hero raises to $299373 (All-In), (after a very long pause) 1 fold
Total pot: $163500
Results:
Hero showed 2s, 3d
Outcome: Hero won $163,500
He typed quite a bit in the chat after that and it sent him on tilt. Apparently he had folded A 8 there. I won the tournament after the first 3 hands headsup. Last hand I had a pair of kings on the flop of K62, he went all in with A 6. lol. Poor guy, I didn't get to see much of his play so I can't really say he was a bad player.. but I know he was pretty angry. 2,200 dollar profit. :D My biggest one time cash yet. I am quite happy. I knew I was going to win from the moment I sat down, such a great feeling.
Going to get to bed early, back to work tomorrow. Atleast it will be Friday. I really am thinking about quitting though. Its not worth it. I cannot wait for spring. And oh my, I had a lot to say.
-Sydney-
Hero (BB) ($203,534)
UTG ($10,7308)
MP ($78,550)
CO ($54,754)
Button ($66,952)
SB ($130,902)
Preflop: Hero is BB with 2d, Jd
UTG calls $5000, MP calls $5000, 2 folds, SB calls $2500, Hero checks
Flop: ($23000) Ad, 4s, 6d
SB checks, Hero checks, UTG checks, MP bets $17777, 1 fold, Hero raises to $76331, UTG raises to $101808 (All-In), 1 fold, Hero calls $25477
Turn: Kd
River: 2s
Total pot: $244,393
Results:
Hero had 2d, Jd (flush, Ace high).
UTG had 4c, 4h (three of a kind, fours).
Outcome: Hero won $244393
Yeah, so I got super lucky there and that added a huge chip advantage to my already huge stack.
I had a perfect read on the MP dude, so that is the reason for my reraise on the flop, unlucky that the UTG girl had limped in with pockets and hit a set. She played it wrong to begin with though. So really I created my own luck there. After that hand I sailed through with in position steals/took out the rest of the players with superior hands.
We had a lot of rail watchers when it got 3 handed and the other guy Elkm was stealing almost every hand, he eventually took out the very predictable rock: bear2554. That guy was hilarious. He basically told us his strategy through the chat. I had a ton of notes and reads on him. Anyhow, I ran this huge bluff on Elkm because he was berating me in the chat about being a woman and how women are weak. Plus he was getting way too aggressive and needed to be put in his place. lol. I'm pretty sure the bluff pissed him off, he didn't try to play back at me anymore after that though. I didn't have to show him the bluff, but there were a lot of fans watching so I did it for them lol.
Here it is. Pretty sick.
Hero (BB) ($380,873)
Button ($56,219)
SB ($204,908)
Preflop: Hero is BB with 2s, 3d
1 fold, SB raises to $10000, Hero raises to $26500, SB calls $16500
Flop: ($54500) As, 9s, Qd
SB checks, Hero bets $54500, SB calls $54500
Turn: ($163500) 10h
SB checks, Hero checks
River: ($163500) Qc
SB checks, Hero raises to $299373 (All-In), (after a very long pause) 1 fold
Total pot: $163500
Results:
Hero showed 2s, 3d
Outcome: Hero won $163,500
He typed quite a bit in the chat after that and it sent him on tilt. Apparently he had folded A 8 there. I won the tournament after the first 3 hands headsup. Last hand I had a pair of kings on the flop of K62, he went all in with A 6. lol. Poor guy, I didn't get to see much of his play so I can't really say he was a bad player.. but I know he was pretty angry. 2,200 dollar profit. :D My biggest one time cash yet. I am quite happy. I knew I was going to win from the moment I sat down, such a great feeling.
Going to get to bed early, back to work tomorrow. Atleast it will be Friday. I really am thinking about quitting though. Its not worth it. I cannot wait for spring. And oh my, I had a lot to say.
-Sydney-
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Tourney Blues
- Morning-
Woke up early this morning, for no particular reason. Jumped right into a tourney after going out for a run and getting some breakfast. It was the 2k guaranteed bounty. I ended up busting around the middle stages, blinds were getting high and I was card dead as usual haha.
Two hours in I made a big play with 6 7 s, ended up getting called by the big blind with AJ s... end of story. :p Placed 166th/572 players.
Took a break for awhile.. Jumped into a 6 max sit and go, 1st place win after 41 mins of play. Pretty standard. No one really challenged me and I took down all but two pots without a showdown.
-Discipline-
I have a problem staying focused though after a win. I feel like everything is too easy for me and that I can sit on the phone, reply to messages, browse the forums, watch vids on youtube and get a snack whenever! And that is usually my downfall. I always have distractions. I think if I start multi tabling and shut off the phone/aim that I will have much better results. Or even if I could just discipline myself to focus on my opponents, I think my reads will be a lot more solid and clear.
I need to come up with some better abbreviations for my notes as well, it is so annoying when I come across someone I've already played and yet I can't figure out much by the notes that I had taken because 1. they are written in a way where I forgot what I had meant or 2. I wasn't descriptive enough. Luckily I can kind of categorize people pretty quickly. I know who I can absolutely run over and who will try to play back at me, thats for sure.
-Deep Tourney Bust-
Anyhow after a few stupid over aggressive and very distracted insta moves through some sit and gos, I decided to enter the 3k guaranteed tourney ( I won last weeks tourney hehe) This seems to be my strongest game. It is 6 max (of course) Turbo (6 min blind levels) deepstack (3,000 starting chips) I ended up coming in 20th place out of 376 players. Not too bad, but I know I would have gotten to the final table if it wasn't for one very costly mistake.
This actual hand didn't eliminate me but it is the reason I busted for sure...
Here is the hand:
Cake Poker No-Limit Hold'em Tournament, 2000/4000 Blinds 400 Ante (5 handed) -
Button (t13,079)
Hero (SB) (t77,060)
BB (t49,302)
UTG (t97,443)
MP (t45,721)
Preflop: Hero is SB with Ah, Kh
UTG raises to t 16,000, 2 folds, Hero calls t 14,000, 1 fold
Flop: (t38000) Qs, 4c, 8s
Hero bets t 16,000, UTG raises to t 81,043 (All-In), Hero folds
The UTG raiser had been raising up almost every pot for awhile now, I definately should not have tried to trap him at all. The flop was absolutely cruel and my feeler bet was worthless against his hyper aggressive play (what was I thinking, I should have pushed preflop) The bet size was too low to push him off even A high, if he had any sort of draw I can see plenty of reasons to raise and push there.
I had committed half my stack to the hand and insta folded after his all in push. Wow. After losing half my stack on that donkey play the blinds were too high and I had almost no fold equity. I still wonder if he pushed with something like AJ. or AJ/A10 of clubs. Man. I know he didn't have pocket queens because he would have limped in or pushed all in preflop. That was his style with the high pocket pairs. Again.. if I was going to make a play like that I had no business even being in the hand. Should have folded to his small preflop raise. Hah.
-Other Games-
So after kicking myself over that hand for awhile, I won another 6 max sit and go.. god I love those games. They are my bread and butter lately. However, I was getting distracted again and making insta decisions (which is good if you're focused and have good reads but that was not my case)
I decided to try out a cash game... 25c/50c 6 max ring game, bought in for 30 bucks. Last week when I jumped into this game I steamrolled the table for around 200 bucks. Everyone left after that. So I felt good about my edge here. Sure enough, I ended up cashing out with a 153 dollar profit, I will admit I luckboxed a couple hands though. Honestly, it seems all the players around these stakes are either complete fish who will call you down with anything or total rocks who are very easy to outplay. I think I'm going to play 6 max cash games more often.
What about full ring games you say? Well, I just don't have the concentration or patience yet to commit to those. Maybe if I multi table I can do it. But for now I'm sticking with what I'm best at, and that is anything 6 handed. I feel like my headsup skills are getting better as well. Mmm headsup is so much fun. I'm still working out a good strategy for it though, haven't quite decided on which style is best, of course it depends on my opponent.
-Final Notes-
I feel like in the lower stakes (speaking of headsup) its not really wise to go completely hyper aggressive.(with the exception of the rocks) I've had more results with waiting for value betting type hands and slowly chipping away at their stack. And that style works absolutely perfect against those maniac players who like to commit their whole stack right away, that is for sure. (I have fallen victim to many inferior players simply waiting patiently and trapping me in headsup play.. I basically gave them the win because of my aggression factor.)
I Definately need to find the balance. So I think both styles are correct in certain situations, it just all depends on your opponent. Being versatile is a must. That being said I have won all 3 of the headsup games I've played today.
Please note that no matter what style I'm using at the time, it is always best to play many different hands the same way instead of playing certain hands all differently. (Except for future deceptive purposes if you're playing the same people for extended periods, then you can get way more creative.) This saves you many pattern or tell problems from an observant opponent. Let the other guy make those mistakes!
Alright, I apologize for such a long post. Going to finish looking through these hand histories.
Will update later.
-Sydney-
Woke up early this morning, for no particular reason. Jumped right into a tourney after going out for a run and getting some breakfast. It was the 2k guaranteed bounty. I ended up busting around the middle stages, blinds were getting high and I was card dead as usual haha.
Two hours in I made a big play with 6 7 s, ended up getting called by the big blind with AJ s... end of story. :p Placed 166th/572 players.
Took a break for awhile.. Jumped into a 6 max sit and go, 1st place win after 41 mins of play. Pretty standard. No one really challenged me and I took down all but two pots without a showdown.
-Discipline-
I have a problem staying focused though after a win. I feel like everything is too easy for me and that I can sit on the phone, reply to messages, browse the forums, watch vids on youtube and get a snack whenever! And that is usually my downfall. I always have distractions. I think if I start multi tabling and shut off the phone/aim that I will have much better results. Or even if I could just discipline myself to focus on my opponents, I think my reads will be a lot more solid and clear.
I need to come up with some better abbreviations for my notes as well, it is so annoying when I come across someone I've already played and yet I can't figure out much by the notes that I had taken because 1. they are written in a way where I forgot what I had meant or 2. I wasn't descriptive enough. Luckily I can kind of categorize people pretty quickly. I know who I can absolutely run over and who will try to play back at me, thats for sure.
-Deep Tourney Bust-
Anyhow after a few stupid over aggressive and very distracted insta moves through some sit and gos, I decided to enter the 3k guaranteed tourney ( I won last weeks tourney hehe) This seems to be my strongest game. It is 6 max (of course) Turbo (6 min blind levels) deepstack (3,000 starting chips) I ended up coming in 20th place out of 376 players. Not too bad, but I know I would have gotten to the final table if it wasn't for one very costly mistake.
This actual hand didn't eliminate me but it is the reason I busted for sure...
Here is the hand:
Cake Poker No-Limit Hold'em Tournament, 2000/4000 Blinds 400 Ante (5 handed) -
Button (t13,079)
Hero (SB) (t77,060)
BB (t49,302)
UTG (t97,443)
MP (t45,721)
Preflop: Hero is SB with Ah, Kh
UTG raises to t 16,000, 2 folds, Hero calls t 14,000, 1 fold
Flop: (t38000) Qs, 4c, 8s
Hero bets t 16,000, UTG raises to t 81,043 (All-In), Hero folds
The UTG raiser had been raising up almost every pot for awhile now, I definately should not have tried to trap him at all. The flop was absolutely cruel and my feeler bet was worthless against his hyper aggressive play (what was I thinking, I should have pushed preflop) The bet size was too low to push him off even A high, if he had any sort of draw I can see plenty of reasons to raise and push there.
I had committed half my stack to the hand and insta folded after his all in push. Wow. After losing half my stack on that donkey play the blinds were too high and I had almost no fold equity. I still wonder if he pushed with something like AJ. or AJ/A10 of clubs. Man. I know he didn't have pocket queens because he would have limped in or pushed all in preflop. That was his style with the high pocket pairs. Again.. if I was going to make a play like that I had no business even being in the hand. Should have folded to his small preflop raise. Hah.
-Other Games-
So after kicking myself over that hand for awhile, I won another 6 max sit and go.. god I love those games. They are my bread and butter lately. However, I was getting distracted again and making insta decisions (which is good if you're focused and have good reads but that was not my case)
I decided to try out a cash game... 25c/50c 6 max ring game, bought in for 30 bucks. Last week when I jumped into this game I steamrolled the table for around 200 bucks. Everyone left after that. So I felt good about my edge here. Sure enough, I ended up cashing out with a 153 dollar profit, I will admit I luckboxed a couple hands though. Honestly, it seems all the players around these stakes are either complete fish who will call you down with anything or total rocks who are very easy to outplay. I think I'm going to play 6 max cash games more often.
What about full ring games you say? Well, I just don't have the concentration or patience yet to commit to those. Maybe if I multi table I can do it. But for now I'm sticking with what I'm best at, and that is anything 6 handed. I feel like my headsup skills are getting better as well. Mmm headsup is so much fun. I'm still working out a good strategy for it though, haven't quite decided on which style is best, of course it depends on my opponent.
-Final Notes-
I feel like in the lower stakes (speaking of headsup) its not really wise to go completely hyper aggressive.(with the exception of the rocks) I've had more results with waiting for value betting type hands and slowly chipping away at their stack. And that style works absolutely perfect against those maniac players who like to commit their whole stack right away, that is for sure. (I have fallen victim to many inferior players simply waiting patiently and trapping me in headsup play.. I basically gave them the win because of my aggression factor.)
I Definately need to find the balance. So I think both styles are correct in certain situations, it just all depends on your opponent. Being versatile is a must. That being said I have won all 3 of the headsup games I've played today.
Please note that no matter what style I'm using at the time, it is always best to play many different hands the same way instead of playing certain hands all differently. (Except for future deceptive purposes if you're playing the same people for extended periods, then you can get way more creative.) This saves you many pattern or tell problems from an observant opponent. Let the other guy make those mistakes!
Alright, I apologize for such a long post. Going to finish looking through these hand histories.
Will update later.
-Sydney-
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Slow day
Hey there, I decided to start a poker blog, just like everyone else it seems. I don't know how often I'll post, probably on my off days, like today lol. I'd like to keep my screen name anonymous for now.. but my regular site currently is Players Only on the Cake network. I've been playing poker for about 3 years. I've come a long way, but there is still a lot to learn. I'm constantly trying to improve my game and find my weaknesses. I don't think I'll ever be satisfied with how I play. I want to continue to learn and improve.
Lately, it seems I can't win a single race. I've played 3 of my regular 6 max Turbo SnG's today..I've come in second twice and 3rd once. Jumped in a couple of satellites but busted out after the first break in both of them. I've had a lot of set over sets and two outer river miracles against me.
Lately, it seems I can't win a single race. I've played 3 of my regular 6 max Turbo SnG's today..I've come in second twice and 3rd once. Jumped in a couple of satellites but busted out after the first break in both of them. I've had a lot of set over sets and two outer river miracles against me.
Anyhow, hopefully things will pull together by tonight. I know I haven't been playing at the top of my game in a couple days. Tomorrow I'll be gone to work so that will give me some time to rethink my strategies and get my mind back to where it should be. I've been sitting here browsing the forums @ 2+2 for about an hour. Going to get some food and chill for now, maybe watch the superbowl.
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