The poker journey has been very interested thus far. I've had some ups and some downs. If you looked at my bankroll, however, you wouldn't guess there were any ups. After taking an extended trip down to the $200 buy-in game ($2-$5 NL Hold'Em) at Commerce because I wanted to use my edge against seemingly weaker players, I returned to the $400 buy-in game ($5-$10 NL Hold'Em). I had realized that players were equally weak in both games. There was, for a little while, a higher number of wildly aggressive players in the higher games. Alot of those freaks are still there but it turns out there are just as many in the lower games.
I had also reached the conclusion that a modest winning session at the lower level was not enough for me to walk away and book it for the night. I never overextended myself in any sessions. It just meant that I couldn't walk early after doubling or tripling my starting buy-in. After much thought about session length (playing time), I am pretty sure it is perfectly OK to leave a game after only a short time if you have accumulated a stack that you feel makes for a successful outing. I try not to factor "luck" into decisions so that's not what this is about. Its about streaks. I've played 19 hours straight without any significantly positive results for the first 15 then catching a good run of cards in the last few hours. Sessions like that would end after 19 hours, regardless, but riding out cold cards and benefiting from a hot run are key.
So what if you have a good run within the first hour or two of play? Once the hot streak has cooled, would it wise to expect it to return? True...given enough time, another streak will occur. But you could sit over a dwindling stack or cash out and pad the stats. I mean, what I've found is I don't go on runs very often. Its never a bad idea to quit while you're ahead.
So I got back into the $400 games again with a few of goals: 1) Avoid big pots with wild players except with monster hands; 2) Play position/pick spots wisely; 3) Don't play scared.
I actually came up with the third goal while I was playing scared. The table had been very aggressive all night and I had been playing extremely tight. Then I realized I had not yet tried to exploit the tight image that I had been establishing. I picked a few spots and played aggressively and it worked. I was able to salvage a night that had been going nowhere. But it is important to note that I didn't start leading out with a blind aggression. I really played smart and was rewarded for it.
I have been analyzing my play at every step of the way. There was a short time, a couple weeks, in which I wasn't very attentive while playing. I wasn't distracted by anything. I was just bored and zoning out. Fortunately, I snapped out of that. I have since been very aware of everything going on in my games. The results have been good reads, acknowledged non-reads, and timely bets and checks. I don't play perfectly, mind you, but I am very happy with what I have done.
Sadly, there are some situations that simply cannot be avoided. For instance:
In one session, the table was very loose and passive so I was able to limp from early position with J-10 (this was very early in my play that day). With 5 of us limping, I saw the J-J-10 flop with two players in front of and behind me. First positon, a middle-aged Asian man who likes to think he is very tricky, checked from the small blind to a kid in his late twenties (whom I had come to know as a somewhat solid player but doesn't really pay attention to his competitors) in the big blind. The kid led out for $30. I decided to just call and hope the others would call behind me. Both the late players folded and Mr. Tricky flat called. I was sitting on the absolute nuts. Then the worst card in the deck fell...the case 10. I say it was the case because I already thought the kid was betting his own 10. I had been hoping Mr. Tricky had the other 10 but it was now obvious that he did not.
Tricky, once again, checked and the kid bet $40. Again, I flat called expecting to chop the pot with Mr. Tricky and wanted to get as much of the kid's money into the pot to make it profitable. Then Mr. Tricky decided to get, well, cute. He stared down the kid then raised to $100. I tried not to react but I think I rolled my eyes instinctively. The kid reluctantly folded and inappropriately revealed his 10. That eliminated my only chance of winning the pot outright by representing quad 10's...not that Mr. Tricky would have actually laid down Jacks full. Anyway, I moved in for another $200+. Then Mr. Tricky went into his act. He stood up, showed his cards to the guy seated on his right, and grimaced. All things that someone with a bad hand would do. I wasn't falling for it. Then he pretended he was throwing his cards away, stopped, and pushed in a rack of chips to make the call. I gently revealed my cards as he slammed his J to the felt.
Let me just state that these are not intended as bad beat stories. They are only examples of how things have been going lately. Here's one more...
On a different night, I had limped in middle position with Q-J. The flop came 8-9-10 rainbow. Absolutely perfect. An early position player bet $25 and I called. One other person called in late position. The turn card was just terrible for me. I knew that right away. It was a Q. The original bettor now checked. I decided to find out where I was with a bet of $70. The guy behind me folded and the early position player just called. Now I put him on a J at least and, while I didn't really think he had it, possibely K-J. This river changed nothing. When he checked, my best play was clear. I also checked and showed down my Q-high straight against his bare J for his Q-high straight. Chop it up!
I've got more of this but I'll save it for another post. Don't worry. Its not all bad. I will write about some of the plays that I am proud of throughout this cold streak. I'll also tell you why I feel like its going to turn around.
SEEYa
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
Wednesday, October 11, 2006
Clementine
Occassionally, I see something on TV that stars someone in a rare appearance or makes reference to another piece of cinema. Then I see that same actor or referenced item on another show. I tend to find the coincidence immensely interesting. Then I tell a friend about it and he finds it immensely...coincidental. Damn it all! I say its interesting. An example of how far we've come that we can touch the past so simply.
This happened again yesterday. I was watching M*A*S*H (the TV show, not the movie). It was one of those episodes without any drama, all fun. The colonel surprised everyone with a movie to lift their spirits. It was an old western starring Henry Fonda called My Darling Clementine. It ends up being inconsequential to the episode as the film breaks and they have to entertain themselves until it is repaired. (OK. That was more info about the show than was necessary.)
Later that day, I was browsing the premium movie channels when I happened upon none other than My Darling Clementine (1946). Now how about that? The movie is sixty years old and I had never even heard of it before. Then I had the chance to watch it after having watch other people watch it. So I did.
I had missed the first couple of minutes but that was the part that the gang at the 4077th watched before it broke. So I was covered. As I watched, I became amazed that I had not heard of the movie before. It is pretty much the same story as Tombstone and Wyatt Earp. I love Tombstone. Its one of those movies that I can't help but watch when its on TV even though I own it on DVD.
That fact drew me into the movie even more. I wanted to see what differences there are in the story and how well it was made. I dig old westerns but the acting and staging is usually on par with the stuff that airs late night on Skinemax. This one wasn't bad though. We all know Henry Fonda was top shelf. However, I find it hard to think of him as a tough as nails gunman. But still pretty decent. Most of the characters were there as in the recent flicks but the relationships and story line are quite different. I ended up recording the last half of it because I was hungry (not from ruslin' cattle mind you but still in need of food) and had to mosey out to rangle up some chow. I'll finish watching later. Maybe there will be another reference embedded in MDC to a silent movie or something I would only find on mimeophone.
SEEYa
This happened again yesterday. I was watching M*A*S*H (the TV show, not the movie). It was one of those episodes without any drama, all fun. The colonel surprised everyone with a movie to lift their spirits. It was an old western starring Henry Fonda called My Darling Clementine. It ends up being inconsequential to the episode as the film breaks and they have to entertain themselves until it is repaired. (OK. That was more info about the show than was necessary.)
Later that day, I was browsing the premium movie channels when I happened upon none other than My Darling Clementine (1946). Now how about that? The movie is sixty years old and I had never even heard of it before. Then I had the chance to watch it after having watch other people watch it. So I did.
I had missed the first couple of minutes but that was the part that the gang at the 4077th watched before it broke. So I was covered. As I watched, I became amazed that I had not heard of the movie before. It is pretty much the same story as Tombstone and Wyatt Earp. I love Tombstone. Its one of those movies that I can't help but watch when its on TV even though I own it on DVD.
That fact drew me into the movie even more. I wanted to see what differences there are in the story and how well it was made. I dig old westerns but the acting and staging is usually on par with the stuff that airs late night on Skinemax. This one wasn't bad though. We all know Henry Fonda was top shelf. However, I find it hard to think of him as a tough as nails gunman. But still pretty decent. Most of the characters were there as in the recent flicks but the relationships and story line are quite different. I ended up recording the last half of it because I was hungry (not from ruslin' cattle mind you but still in need of food) and had to mosey out to rangle up some chow. I'll finish watching later. Maybe there will be another reference embedded in MDC to a silent movie or something I would only find on mimeophone.
SEEYa
Thursday, September 21, 2006
No Whip
Sitting in Starbucks, drinking a tall mocha...no whip...and reading The Rum Diary.
I usually sit in one of the comfy wooden chairs but opted for the boothish padded thing along the wall. Its not comfortable either.
Two portly woman sat across the way and cackled at each other's stories.
Three old woman came in. One glanced at me and wondered aloud if the store was closing...I have no idea if I figured into the question.
I finished chapter 10 and gave a friend a call. Got the machine. Left a message, as you do.
Put the book down, sat back, took a sip, and tried to figure out if I wanted to keep reading.
An ambulance passed with siren blazing. That happens most nights around here. Alot of eldery folks.
I'm back at home now. Although it doesn't really feel like home as much as Starbucks does...
Its a sick world.
SEEYa
I usually sit in one of the comfy wooden chairs but opted for the boothish padded thing along the wall. Its not comfortable either.
Two portly woman sat across the way and cackled at each other's stories.
Three old woman came in. One glanced at me and wondered aloud if the store was closing...I have no idea if I figured into the question.
I finished chapter 10 and gave a friend a call. Got the machine. Left a message, as you do.
Put the book down, sat back, took a sip, and tried to figure out if I wanted to keep reading.
An ambulance passed with siren blazing. That happens most nights around here. Alot of eldery folks.
I'm back at home now. Although it doesn't really feel like home as much as Starbucks does...
Its a sick world.
SEEYa
Time to Play
I had a request to update my blog. Admittedly, it has been a while. I've been waiting for inspiration to strike. It may be on strike instead. So I'll forge on with some uninspired poker-related stuff.
Things haven't been going great for me. I still manage to play solid and make good decisions. I also recognize my mistakes...about a second after I make them. So I am doing my best. At least I can say that.
For the last few weeks, the main topic on my mind has been game selection. I realized I don't fare too well against maniacs. And there are tons of them at Commerce. So I have to tread softly. I started scouting the $400 games before electing to get on the board. This led me to choose the $200 tables more and more often. It seemed like a wise choice. I found reason to doubt that on Monday.
I arrived at 2:30pm as I normally do and took a seat in a brand new $200 game. The collection of players were very good for me. I could play my tight-aggressive game and bluff on occasion as long as I picked my spots well. That is just what I did for the better part of 6 1/2. I only missed one bet and only made one move that didn't work. I left stuck only $70. But the real bug was that my high point was +$250. That's really not bad for a $200 buy-in table but it is an insignificant amount to me. It was a lot of work getting there and it still wasn't enough.
An upswing of 125%...at a $400 table, that would be +$500. And I could book that as a good win. So I've decided I have to play higher. I need to be in the $400 game. But how do I manage playing with the nut balls? It hit me out of the blue on Tuesday. I can play at a different time. Starting in the middle of the day, most of the players in action are "players." Either that or they don't need (and therefore don't care about) money.
I used to go home after work and wait for traffic to settle around 8pm. The theory is that there are more and different players later in the night. People with day jobs only show up in the evening. Those are my prey. They don't have as much experience and still know the value of a buck. So I would now leave around 8:30 and be in action by 9pm. And I would play for as short or as long as I wanted. One of the problems with the 2pm start is that I didn't want to leave before 8ish because I would just be sitting in traffic for an hour or so. If I had a good rush within the first few hours and wanted to cut and run, I couldn't...or didn't want to. Since there is no traffic at all after my 9pm start, I can leave early if I happen to win early.
I also like the fact that I wouldn't be stuck in a casino when its nice and sunny outside. My new plan is to enjoy the daylight before hitting the road at night. Wednesday was my first go at this. In fact, I just got back. The field was exactly what I hoped for. Unfortunately, I was completely card dead but managed to come away stuck only $202. I would have kept playing but my table broke and I didn't feel like trying to learn a new table on a short stack. And maybe it just wasn't going to be my night.
He who fights and runs away...
SEEYa
Things haven't been going great for me. I still manage to play solid and make good decisions. I also recognize my mistakes...about a second after I make them. So I am doing my best. At least I can say that.
For the last few weeks, the main topic on my mind has been game selection. I realized I don't fare too well against maniacs. And there are tons of them at Commerce. So I have to tread softly. I started scouting the $400 games before electing to get on the board. This led me to choose the $200 tables more and more often. It seemed like a wise choice. I found reason to doubt that on Monday.
I arrived at 2:30pm as I normally do and took a seat in a brand new $200 game. The collection of players were very good for me. I could play my tight-aggressive game and bluff on occasion as long as I picked my spots well. That is just what I did for the better part of 6 1/2. I only missed one bet and only made one move that didn't work. I left stuck only $70. But the real bug was that my high point was +$250. That's really not bad for a $200 buy-in table but it is an insignificant amount to me. It was a lot of work getting there and it still wasn't enough.
An upswing of 125%...at a $400 table, that would be +$500. And I could book that as a good win. So I've decided I have to play higher. I need to be in the $400 game. But how do I manage playing with the nut balls? It hit me out of the blue on Tuesday. I can play at a different time. Starting in the middle of the day, most of the players in action are "players." Either that or they don't need (and therefore don't care about) money.
I used to go home after work and wait for traffic to settle around 8pm. The theory is that there are more and different players later in the night. People with day jobs only show up in the evening. Those are my prey. They don't have as much experience and still know the value of a buck. So I would now leave around 8:30 and be in action by 9pm. And I would play for as short or as long as I wanted. One of the problems with the 2pm start is that I didn't want to leave before 8ish because I would just be sitting in traffic for an hour or so. If I had a good rush within the first few hours and wanted to cut and run, I couldn't...or didn't want to. Since there is no traffic at all after my 9pm start, I can leave early if I happen to win early.
I also like the fact that I wouldn't be stuck in a casino when its nice and sunny outside. My new plan is to enjoy the daylight before hitting the road at night. Wednesday was my first go at this. In fact, I just got back. The field was exactly what I hoped for. Unfortunately, I was completely card dead but managed to come away stuck only $202. I would have kept playing but my table broke and I didn't feel like trying to learn a new table on a short stack. And maybe it just wasn't going to be my night.
He who fights and runs away...
SEEYa
Monday, September 11, 2006
A Qvicky
Poker Alert! I'm going to recap some recent goings on but without any detailed hand histories.
Poker results have been up and down for me in the past week. I started off my plan of paying cash each day before the evening tourneys with the outcome I was hoping for. First, on Tuesday, I opted for a seat in a 5NL game after waiting a while for a 10NL game and not seeing any movement on the board. It was a fortunate decision because I landed in a game full of loose-passive players and I managed to find some good cards. In my first two hours, I ran my $200 buy-in to $600. Over the remaining hour and a half of play, I worked it up to $730 by stealing.
After cashing out and paying my tournament entry, I ensured myself winner for the day. I played well in the tourney but only managed just inside of the 100 mark out of 671 entrants. But I enjoyed myself along the way.
Then, on Thursday, I returned hoping for a similar situation in a cash game and found it at another 5NL table. It seems that the 10NL is now flooded with wild, loose players who don't care about money. That's not good for me in the long run. So the 5NL may offer the best chance of finding a passive group that I can take advantage of. Again, I ran my stack up to $650 in about 3 hours. Then I grinded it up to $750 in another hour in which I didn't actually have very good cards. In the end, I cashed out for a hair over $700.
Again, I was able to book a profit before the tournament started so I was happy with that. This time, the tourney didn't go as well for me. I had a hyper-aggressive guy on my right who limped and pushed all-in over the top of my late-position raise before the flop. I figured to have the best hand but he knew I couldn't call. He made the same play at someone else with the same result then started chatting with me about how I should have done that in another spot. I stayed away from him as much as possible.
Then who should get moved to my table? None other than Heather. My god. What are the chances? And Amir was at a table nearby in a seat that put her close to him too (he had some of her action and a last-longer). Funny thing, I kept finding hands on her big blind and raised in that position several times. She gave me hell for it.
Also at my table was a kid that I was sure I had played with at Chumash. I remembered how he really liked to pull off a bluff. In talking with him and others, it became apparent that he wasn't just a kid from Chumash. He was Jeff Madsen...the wonder kid from Santa Barbara who won two bracelets at the WSOP this year. I guess his tournament style is far from his cash style because he pretty much played straight forward, looking for good starting hands.
Madsen got short stacked but managed to double through once and drag the blinds a couple more times. Then he stuck it all in again on my big blind. As it was folding around to me, I joked, "I aint afraid of you." Then I looked at my cards and instantly said I call. He had A-9. I had J-J. Mine held up. So the big story of the week is that I knocked Jeff Madsen out of a tourney. Oh...I'm also pretty sure that Kenickie (Jeff Conaway) from Grease was on the bike next to me at the gym on Friday. I'm 99% sure it was him.
Its been quite a "Jeff" week.
SEEYa
Poker results have been up and down for me in the past week. I started off my plan of paying cash each day before the evening tourneys with the outcome I was hoping for. First, on Tuesday, I opted for a seat in a 5NL game after waiting a while for a 10NL game and not seeing any movement on the board. It was a fortunate decision because I landed in a game full of loose-passive players and I managed to find some good cards. In my first two hours, I ran my $200 buy-in to $600. Over the remaining hour and a half of play, I worked it up to $730 by stealing.
After cashing out and paying my tournament entry, I ensured myself winner for the day. I played well in the tourney but only managed just inside of the 100 mark out of 671 entrants. But I enjoyed myself along the way.
Then, on Thursday, I returned hoping for a similar situation in a cash game and found it at another 5NL table. It seems that the 10NL is now flooded with wild, loose players who don't care about money. That's not good for me in the long run. So the 5NL may offer the best chance of finding a passive group that I can take advantage of. Again, I ran my stack up to $650 in about 3 hours. Then I grinded it up to $750 in another hour in which I didn't actually have very good cards. In the end, I cashed out for a hair over $700.
Again, I was able to book a profit before the tournament started so I was happy with that. This time, the tourney didn't go as well for me. I had a hyper-aggressive guy on my right who limped and pushed all-in over the top of my late-position raise before the flop. I figured to have the best hand but he knew I couldn't call. He made the same play at someone else with the same result then started chatting with me about how I should have done that in another spot. I stayed away from him as much as possible.
Then who should get moved to my table? None other than Heather. My god. What are the chances? And Amir was at a table nearby in a seat that put her close to him too (he had some of her action and a last-longer). Funny thing, I kept finding hands on her big blind and raised in that position several times. She gave me hell for it.
Also at my table was a kid that I was sure I had played with at Chumash. I remembered how he really liked to pull off a bluff. In talking with him and others, it became apparent that he wasn't just a kid from Chumash. He was Jeff Madsen...the wonder kid from Santa Barbara who won two bracelets at the WSOP this year. I guess his tournament style is far from his cash style because he pretty much played straight forward, looking for good starting hands.
Madsen got short stacked but managed to double through once and drag the blinds a couple more times. Then he stuck it all in again on my big blind. As it was folding around to me, I joked, "I aint afraid of you." Then I looked at my cards and instantly said I call. He had A-9. I had J-J. Mine held up. So the big story of the week is that I knocked Jeff Madsen out of a tourney. Oh...I'm also pretty sure that Kenickie (Jeff Conaway) from Grease was on the bike next to me at the gym on Friday. I'm 99% sure it was him.
Its been quite a "Jeff" week.
SEEYa
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