Move down to NL100

Balance : $2788

Well, I was still sick after making two mistakes yesterday worth around $300.

This AM, played some 6-handed and 9-handed and quickly lost $400.  It was sick.   My 99 ran into QQ when there was a flush draw on the board.  I just put him on a draw or Ace-blah.  My c-bets met resistance.  I guess I took some inspiration from the video….wrong!  I should really throw away anything less than QQ when re-raised PF.  I retrospect, I saw the video guy have his Aces cracked in video….doesn’t make me feel better though.

I now have to move to NL100.  I remember someone saying shift down to NL50 or NL100 and play 50,000 hands, I think he was right!  I feel fairly bad after my good performance on the live cash table on Saturday night, albeit where I got lucky but also didn’t get involved in anything too crazy.

Downswing, downswing…

Balance : $3190 (withdrew $1000 so should be $4190)

I just got hammered.  I had a big outdrawn session which things just didn’t go my way.  All the money goes in, I get hammered.  My c-bets don’t work.  My check-downs lose.

Saying that I’ve been playing the best poker of my life, aside from two recent hands where I got involved with a paired board with a King high flush draw…not very clever.  I also got fulled by a pot size bet thinking it was some sort of bluff.  I’m finding pot sized river bets are not always a bluff, esp with the rocks.  So I definitely made 2 bad calls recently costing me $300 or so.

Things are fairly sad even though I’m playing solid and winning some big hands – I had to call $27 to see a flop with 33, hit the set and the pot swelled to $600.   But still it didn’t mean anything overall as I just got hit badly by the cards. 

Even as I type this, I flopped top pair, checked it in 1st position as there were 4 players…one person bets, I re-raise…he calls.  Yes he had 2nd pair and makes trips by 4th.  I kept it cheap and checked/called.

Live I played the local $200 tournament…finished 14th.  Made a bad play…had K9 BB…everyone folded except SB.  I should have pushed.  But no, I saw a free flop 4/4/5 and he tried to bet 500…the min bet was 800…dealer corrected him.  So I figure he’s weak and shove. He turns KK.

Oh well….I should either fold on the flop or shove PF.  I need to just realise short stacker is 1-dimensional – shove or fold.  Anyway went upstairs and played a cash game, won my $200 back and left.

My next plan is to watch more poker instruction videos, and if I have to shift down to NL100, I will.  My cutoff is 15 buyins for NL200.  Once I hit 14, I shift down.  I’m thinking about a new monitor so I can 8-table as I don’t have that much time…if  I 8-table I can do around 500 hands per hour. 

Balance : $6189

Balance : $6189

 Today I did something kinda daft…I SLOWPLAYED.  Aaaargh…I only did it because I knew the player called me to the river with 2nd pair.  So I wanted to act weak.

Had AKo…..raise, he calls in position.

Flop K97

OK, I’m stacking off now…I check to him and he bets….I think for a while and call hoping to trap fully on the turn.

Turn : 3

He raises, I push….he turns…33.

Now that is sick.  $200.  Lost a further $200 later just by trying to bet people off the pot etc.

On a positive note, I was given $40 free from an old poker site I hadn’t played on and have turned that into $170.

I will have to plod on.  I’m only playing 200-300 hands per day right now so I think I’m feeling the HIGHS and LOWS more as each session is either great or horrible.

The last 3 weeks…

Balance : $6417

After my slump in December, I battled up to a bankroll of around $8000.   Had a bad beat scenario during Christmas period and it seemed that a lot of people were calling with 2nd pair and getting lucky.

Today I payed off $300 on a 3/3/T board when I had J10.  I just figured the guy was super loose and just donking.  He was single table too.  Sadly, he called my PF raise with 32 offsuit.  All the money went in.  I later tracked the guy down and found him with $200 on a 6-table….the time I got on the waiting list he was down to $80 then zero and didn’t reload.  I guess he spun it up and lost all my cash.  Typical fish.

I tracked down another loose player to 2/4….sadly though  the raising was ferocious and I quickly lost $200 just seeing flops and calling for value.  So today is not a good day.

Live poker sucks too…I was ill at Christmas and missed the big tourney at the casino…1st prize was $15K so sorely missed for a chance at that.  Home game has been dry too…last night even when I hit trip Queens someone had a full house or my 99 was outdrawn by AK….no real luck.

I’m just playing about 1 or 2 hours of poker only per day just now.  It’s not at the level where I can devote hours of my day to playing as yet.