Thursday 30 April 2009

What do you know...even!

Hi!

Well, I've been down to 265$, 270$ (etc) and then manage to build up to 280$ once more.

From the hands I've reviewed, most of the stacked situations I've been into i was ahead by a mile.

Ex.: AA with a K94 flop against a weak opponent who decided to go all in. Insta call - he probably had Kx. No..he had 88 and an 8 hit the river. Things like that.

So I'm very proud of the achievement I've accomplished regarding my poker skills: I feel I've got a lot better since the beginning of the month. I still don't feel at ease to harass NL20 tables again, but in a couple of weeks I might give it another shot.

Can't wait to get some cash from the cards - I'm probably quitting my job in a few weeks, sick of some stuff happening - my boss is way over the line with a few sh$t his been babling about.

At least I have my OWN company to support me in these time of crisis:)

Soon I'll write about my balance from April.

For now, FU swine flu!!

God speed to those of you in affected places!

Saturday 25 April 2009

Upswing? Or solid play?

Hello!

I've manage to build up to 280$, with what I think was solid play. Yesterday something funny happened.

I was in a table with a player that way overvalued his hands and I was harassing him for a while - managed to get half a buyin from him when everyone else left and the table was, at the time being, HU.

I know I suck at HU play. I'm fairly average/bad (before I was only bad) on cash game but I really suck at HU - nevertheless he was really bad and loved loved loved to chase me around with weaker pairs, bottom pairs, gutshots, the works.

I thought I could give it a go. That didn't work too well and I was down 15$ for the day - the last days I managed to end up the day up, even if just for a few bucks.

Felt a little frustated but I've quitted the tables nevertheless - lost a stack to runner runner straight with TPTK.

Next day I was able to recover all of it and profit more or less 2bis so I'm standing now at 280$ on the poker room, where my main goal is, before end of the month, to put this at 500$ or more, making, once more, the 1000$ bankroll I had starting April.

As far as I'm concern, I'm happy this thing happened - I found out I was making LOADS of errors and bad moves and now, despite the fact I'm still down for the month, I feel I've increased the quality of my game.

Fear me, NL20.

All this rollercoaster with my roll will, at least, give a sweet graph!

Wednesday 22 April 2009

Finally, some sense

Hello

Well, I'm now oficially playing at 6 tables simultaneous.

I started a session losing with KK vs QQ pf (all in) to a Q on the flop, JJJ on the flop to a all in flush draw with the flush appearing on the river and losing two races both to shorstacks (20bbs and 17bbs): one I had AK and lost to PP and the other I had a small pp (66 I think) and lost to A9 with a 9 on the flop.

So, starting off with 2 buyins down, I needed to be focus in order to make this work.

Therefore I logged on into the msn while I was playing, and talked and play, put hands on weaktight and play, review hands while playing (and play), etc.

What the hell was I thinking?

As soon as I focused, I started squeezing my buddy Osiris with loads of questions, some standard, others not so much.

Following his advices and some thumb rules from the book I bought (thanks for the tip, Osi :) ) I manage to recover from the 2bis down to a 1,3bi up.

Not so much for the money, I'm genuinly happy to manage to think througout most of the hands, making well thought decisions (even if some were dubious or just plain incorrect) and overall, avoid making donk mistakes.

No more stacks give away with TPTK, mates!

I feel I'm increasing as a player and I hope my bankroll reflects just that. According to my records, I'm down 255$ for the month,including the 80$ of the HM and not counting any rake back/race awards I will receive.



Another thing: I've surfed around and found out that there are inumerous (and far more interesting) poker blogs around so I've got to get me some leverage.




Just to start things off: beautifull A.J.Cook from Criminal Minds (and other stuff)


Hi hi hi!

Running soft, running even, running swingy

Hi!

I've tried to play at NL2 and NL4 (more at NL2 since there are a lot of more NL2 tables than NL4 on IPOKER open at one time) and I've been winning in a swingy mode - the problem is we are talking about 5$ buyins an therefore, I spend too much time to win too less).

This was ok a few months ago, since I was building a bankroll but it's very hard to be in pots of 30$+ and then battle for an average pot of 2$. Nevertheless I found it was very important to put this game into perspective - losing 200$ on a bad run/VERY bad moves is really awefull.

I deposit more money into the poker account where now i have 240$. I've left 500$ on NETELLER and I've "withdraw" 80$, so all in all I'm 180$ down so forth.

I'm not upset, just very frustated to be in this position very much due to bad decisions.

April final objectives:

- put roll up to 1000$ once more and continue to play NL10 until I feel I'm crushing most of the game (not very hard to accomplished if we take in account the rakeback and races I will get income from).

- play ABC poker on 6 tables, micro view mode.

- avoid the best way possible though spots like OOP big pots with marginal hands.


Some revenues:

- I think I will get in rakeback more or less like 50$.

- I'm in two races where, if all goes well, I will win a minimum of 50$.

- Not going to unlock the 100$ bonus just yest, maybe next month.

So I've got 100$ which make me on 80$ down for the month. With two weeks remaining, I think if I stick to ABC poker and solid decisions I will win 80$ in no time - on a rate of 2bi's per day, I would need 8 days so all is possible.

Bye!

Friday 10 April 2009

NL10? Too much for me!

HI!

Well, I've decided to step down a little further into the world of NL5!

I've really got to re-learn some stuff I forgot and learn some stuff I thought I knew.

Bought a new book, advice from a friend (I think I can consider him a friend, even thought for the time being he is just an online one), and to top this up I'm going away for the next week so all is good: away from the tables and reading a good book.

Let's see what the future brings.

Maybe NL is just not for me, I thought of that already, but before I learn more about this and stop doing stupid rookie/newbie erros, I refuse to think I can only win at limit.

I think I just don't know how to play this on a higher level than the lowest one possible:)

I've squached NL5 before, I'm sure I can do that again but, as I already learn by trial and error, winning at one stake doesn't mean you will win at the next one.

So off to NL5 to re-learn stuff and then switch to NL10 where I want to be at least a solid 15-20 BIs up (by solid I mean not earning these bis altogether in one demon good session, where I manage to fit all my hands against TP3ndK donk shoves).

I must have at least 15 bis of profit and at least 5k - 6k hands at NL10. 5K hands is not that big of a sample, but is good enough for me IF I feel it run good as a solid play not as a lucky shot. If I feel I had too much heat on my hands and got called with donk hands against my monters, I will have to gather another 5k.

When this is accomplished, I reach my goal of 1000$ once more AND I'm ready to try out once more NL20 - if I feel my game has improved enough to handle those players.

See you in a couple of weeks!

Tuesday 7 April 2009

Back to NL10

Hi.

Despite the fact I have Bankroll to sustain NL20, I'm going through the sickest run ever.

I'm now at NL10 and in a few hands manage to lose with AA, KK and QQ in more than one occasion, against gutshots, flushdraws and lower 2 pairs.

Furthermore, lost with set (555) over set (KKK) and just now lost with AQ agains AJ (weak player, always all in with marginal hands) and another shorstack with K6 and a K hit. This one wouldn't seem so bad if not for the bad run history I'm having on the last few days.

Amazing stuff happening, not hitting anything and when I do I get squashed by 3, 4 and 2 outers (on more than one occasion).

I'm sticking to NL10 for now, but I think i will stop playing for a while.

I'm down 17$ since I started NL10. Not too bad, regarding the AA, set over set and KK I've lost all in pre-flop or on the flop.

I'm down, from my calculations, about 300$. Sure I'll have some rakeback that I'm not counting yet, but this is showing that reaching April's objective will be VERY hard: I was aiming at 1500$, but I've switched it to step objectives from the time being.

Therefore, first step is reach, once more, 1000$.

See you around.

Fuck this.

Monday 6 April 2009

Downswing

I'm down. Really, really down: more or less 150$. 50$ was pure stupidity but the other 100$ are both bad decisions and some really thought luck.

Should have quitted before and regain my spirit and strenght but I didn't, and that cost me badly.

Hope to regain my game.

I'll post a more extensive post later.

Here is a post I've made on a forum, but it's in portuguese.

"
Olá, cambada viciada!
Ontem foi um domingo de desgraça. Além de ter feito algumas jogadas menos boas e ter tido a ideia estúpida de recuperar algum do $ perdido em limite (1/2 max6 - viva a variância) onde perdi arredondado uns 50$, que "assumo", fiquei ontem down uns 140/150$. Considero que esses 50$ são para esquecer porque foi pura estupidez. Considero apenas, em termos de jogo, que estou down uns 110$.

Não acredito que tenha sido tudo azar, porém uns 60$ estava à frente PF, semi-favorito e contra jogadores "básicos" ou pelo menos conhecidos. Um deles é um caso curioso de sucesso que vou aproveitar para mostrar a seguir, para vocês me darem a vossa opinião.

First things first: estive a pensar e li no guia Ryan Fee que todos os jogadores batem em swings de 10 BI's down, neste caso em NL20 seria 200$. Considero 5BI's/6BI's down "aceitável" para um semi-tilt, algumas más jogadas e alguma má sorte - não gosto, confesso que não tenho tanta presença de espírito como devia para aguentar isto, e esta foi uma vez que me mostrou isso mesmo. Deveria ter saído, se o tivesse feito tudo seria diferente para o resto do dia, muito provavelmente.

Em mãos distintas que me recorde, perdi com QQ para 2 jogadores onde ambos tinham AKo e um deles estava short e outro é o tal caso de sucesso que já vos vou falar. Noutra com AA perdi para J7o com J7 no flop, etc. Penso que não havia hipótese e pronto, perdi. Infelizmente tiltei e não consegui ter a presença de espírito para agarrar estes jogadores, mas outros dias virão.

Fiquei com uma azia tremenda porque joguei umas 2 ou 3 horas (sinto que foi mais, mas não consigo precisar) e fiquei não só down o valor que referi, mas acima de tudo sei que se continuasse a jogar só ia perder mais.

Perdi a noção de onde estava em maior parte das mãos e apesar de não considerar um tilt extremo, sei que não estava a jogar bem. Em três meses contrui uma banca de 4 digitos por isso sei que algo estava a fazer bem e dessa forma ou tive apenas um laivo de ignorância e desgraça em que uni má sorte a más decisões, ou simplesmente cheguei a uma fase onde terei que evoluir de novo.

Recordo-me na pacific quando tive uma swimg de 100$, tive a rever uma série de conceitos e mãos, e recuperei tudo nos dias seguintes. O que me frustou mais é que estou a jogar de forma diferente e acima de tudo acho que de forma mais correcta: será que ao ser um poker mais a sério, é necessário domá-lo de forma que não estou habituado?

Por exemplo, estou mais agressivo e como tal terei que me manter agressivo nas várias streets e torna-se muito complicado com 99 no CO ao raise pf, ter um chaser com K62 no flop. Mesmo caindo um blank no turn, por vezes uma nova bet daria o pote mas acho que muitas vezes me falta a pólvora para este tiro. O snap call no flop significa em muito uma mão marginal por parte do vilão, que inclui um Kxo, e que muitas vezes simplesmente não largam e acabamos por perder mais uma bet ou por vezes até largariam e perco o pote logo ali no turn com um check.

Isto vem com a prática, é certo, mas que conselhos dão para cuidados com CBET?

Queria saber se este tipo de azia vos aconteceu já, de terem jogado o que se assemelha a horas e horas de poker e saíram não só a perder como, pior ainda, totalmente dominados pelo jogo - não tive resposta para as adversidades que se impuseram. Mais, devia ter saído antes e não o fiz e como tal, paguei caro.

Não me importo de perder, quero é ganhar no final do mês. Pessoalmente, e sem querer ser prepotente, quero esmagar NL20 como digo absolutamente que esmaguei NL5, ainda que num field bem mais fácil do que no que estou agora. NL10 foi uma passagem que me encheu a banca mas notei que no geral não estava assim tão à frente como em NL5.

NL20 está a mostrar-se difícil e radicalmente desafiador. Sei que não posso cometer erros e sei que há muitos jogadores bem mais fracos que eu e há jogadores com o mesmo nivel (fraco, mas menos fraco que os outros eheh) e bons. Depois há as "bestas" do jogo, que estão apenas a acumular fichas para o limite seguinte, e é uma questão de tempo até o conseguirem. Enquadro o (...) por exemplo, neste patamar devido ao nível e análise pormenorizada de cada mão, cada situação e cada movimento.

Noto que às vezes penso em coisas que estão fora daquela mão o que me levam a decisões incorrectas: enquadro poucas vezes a range do vilão consoante o movimento pf -se fez limp/call raise, se fez raise, etc - ainda assim noto que estou melhor.

No fundo tenho dificuldades na CBET e na quantidade de vezes que o meu simples par de 66 bate um AK que não larga num dry board, com uma Q solta.

-------------------------------------------------------------

Em relação ao caso de sucesso do tal jogador.

Estive em várias mesas com ele e noto que ele joga em mais de 8 em média. Já vi vários movimentos dele e posso garantir que faz movimentos, sem ter em conta as stacks, do género: all in pf com AKo, num multiway pot em que tem um deepstack a fazer 3bet ao bet dele e outro a fazer 4bet.

Mais tarde voltei a vê-lo ir all in com AKo contra um jogador 100bb na mesa e ele tinha 220bb ou coisa assim.

Já o vi 3bet com 55 sem pos e call ao 4bet do outro jogador (bateu-lhe o 5 nessa vez).

Outra mão(s): raise pf com ATo no CO mesa com KTxr ele bet, raise do outro jogador e ele imediatamente call. Outro jogador sempre muito agressivo e ele sempre snap call, no river calhou T e ele check e o outro jogador Bet de novo e ele call uma vez mais.

Como já disse, sou amador, mas um jogador deste género é um jogador a longo prazo vencedor? Sei que é uma amostra ridícula (3 mãos ) mas um jogador em mais de 8 mesas que faz este tipo de movimentos, acho que não pode vencer..no entanto, e em quase todas as mesas que ele estava, estava sempre com 30$ mais, uma ou outra com 60$ até.

Foi sorte nesse dia? Muitas mesas com movimentos tipo AK all in pf tornam-se rentáveis nestes limites?

Digam o que acham!

Já agora refiram o que se pode fazer em relação à CBET e já agora se esta azia vos é conhecida!

"

Saturday 4 April 2009

Going round in circles

Hellloooo!

I keep winning and then losing to either bad beats or simply bad play.

If it were just bad beats, I would be up every day but my main problem is I'm playing hands i shouldn't play - therefore I'm more probable to get beats since I'm playing with a marginal hands - and I play hands i should play with little agressession or sometimes over agression.

Well, that's why I'm still stuck at NL20, It's a learning process. I don't mind losing while learning at NL20, it would hurt a lot more learning and losing on NL100, for instance:)

God speed.

Thursday 2 April 2009

When you think you don't have what it takes...




...you're already pot comitted, with 70% to win. All in, baby!

ps.: To put some colour on this blog, I will post some pics and all:)

On a different network

Well, well, well...we meet again! HI!

Since my poker life isn't very insteresting yet, I thought of giving you guys a break of my mini-micro-mega-small wins - maybe when I win more than 50$ per day, on a regular basis, I will be more confortable of bragging myself as a good player, even not being one:)

So, news - I'm on IPOKER thanks to a friend (awesome player) that told me about a cool rakeback deal.

I'm working myself on a site where I'm able to give players 40% rakeback plus, if they reach the 1000$ rake I give 42,5% and above 2500$ rake I give, yes, 45%!

Now that's something!

More news soon!

I'm charging for now IPOKER network so this is all kind of new to me, at least on NL because I've play on Titan (like a million years ago) but always on limit.

So far so good, played 20 minutes, won 17$ - ahah!

Today this is going to be more serious - I'm thinking of playing an hour or two.

Concerns - since I don't have HM yet (true!) I don't know if this room saves the history on a specific folder and what folder it is, I'm hoping to grab all this hands later..

Well, not much more for now.

Ah, been swinging forth and backward regarding the 1K mark - some bad plays but I feel they were made because I'm trying to evolve and so I'm trying to do things I didn't do before - problem is some of those things are not very good...eheh

I will try to play more hands - I haven't played much in the last few days..



Yeahhh baby!! I'm all in!!!

Bye!