After a Christmas break from The Vic, I returned to a winning session on Sunday. Even after running my Kings into Aces for a £400+ pot, I managed to finish up over £200.
Although I am not result driven, I had posted 6 back to back losing sessions previously to this session (dropping over £1,000), and was simply glad to get back to winning ways.
During the few days I took off, I did a lot of thinking about bringing my A-Game more often, keeping focused, talking less, and working hard on my external body behaviour (from general body language to reducing my physical tells).
I was also extremely motivated by the words in Garry Kasparov's book (How Life Imitates Chess), even reading the first few chapters captivated my imagination.
He preaches self development and immense preparation via strategy....
"...if you play without long-term goals your decision will become purely reactive and you'll be playing your opponent's game, not your own. As you jump from one new thing to the next you will be pulled off course, caught up in what's right in front of you instead of what you need to achieve..."
Ohh my god! How fucking true!
So I put together a solid strategy, consisting of what you may call a template of actual game play, in addition I devised non result / play driven goals, and on Sunday I began to put this into practise.
I was pleased to have played through the session and kept to my overall strategy and work toward my goals that I set out.
But Tuesday was another fucking story. I let some fucking fat, smelly prick get under my skin. Then I let a complete newbie irritate me with his (and his friend's) retarded analysis of a hand. Why on earth do I care? Fuck me!
In between all this, I missed a draw, lost couple of pots, and found myself off course. My game plan, goals, and strategy was lost.
Am I really that weak? That mentally weak? No wonder I am playing £1-£2 still after all these years. I have issues with my mentality! Big issues! Which hold me back.
So in order to punish my weakness, develop my patience, and prove my ability to stick to a plan I decided to return to Party Poker for 428,571 hands of 6 max cash games.
429,571 hands will earn me 30,000 Party Poker points which I can exchange for $1,500 in cash.
My objective is to play the hands and break even while doing so, this is a test of patience (and genuinely a punishment for Tuesday's performance!).
If I 12 table I get just over 1,000 hands an hour. If I 9 table I get about 750.
I plan to play a minimum of 5,000 hands a day. So if I play everyday that is like 86 days of playing.
If I win while playing I can move up stakes, and then earn more points per hands, hence reducing the days of punishment!
My objective is to complete this objective! Simple as that! Earn 30,000 Party Points, and don't go broke while attempting to do so.
That's where I am right now, end of post (updates to follow).
Tuesday, 30 December 2008
Sunday, 21 December 2008
Tough week brings out C-Game..
A-Game:
"...your A-game is when you play your best and feel your best at the same time. You can move in and out of your A-game many times in a session. The idea is not to..."
B-Game:
"...your B-game is everything between your A-game and your C-game. It's not your best and it's not your worst. B-game is bad for two reasons. It scores lower than your A-game. And it lives right next to your C-game.
C-Game:
"...your C-game is when you play poorly according to you. You might play bad and know you are playing bad. You might play bad and wait until tomorrow to tell yourself that you did actually play bad. Or you might play bad, and even tell yourself that you played bad, either during a session or after, but you lie to yourself about just how bad you played. In any case, if you know you played bad, that's your C-game.
Frustration has been a cataylist for my C-game this week.
Small bad beats + Periods of being card dead + Nitty opponents + Retarded opponents + Knowing I have work the next day = Frustration = C-Game.
New year just around the corner, and I will predge to always play my A-game (or quit when I am not). I am really going to start of fresh, with renewed determination, because my A-game kicks ass!
"...all the people who have won lots of money over many years at poker have three things in common. They have an A-game that will beat someone else's A-game. They play against those people. And they play their A-game dang near always..."
On a side note, I went out last, and got so drunk that the night is black out. My god!
"...your A-game is when you play your best and feel your best at the same time. You can move in and out of your A-game many times in a session. The idea is not to..."
B-Game:
"...your B-game is everything between your A-game and your C-game. It's not your best and it's not your worst. B-game is bad for two reasons. It scores lower than your A-game. And it lives right next to your C-game.
C-Game:
"...your C-game is when you play poorly according to you. You might play bad and know you are playing bad. You might play bad and wait until tomorrow to tell yourself that you did actually play bad. Or you might play bad, and even tell yourself that you played bad, either during a session or after, but you lie to yourself about just how bad you played. In any case, if you know you played bad, that's your C-game.
Frustration has been a cataylist for my C-game this week.
Small bad beats + Periods of being card dead + Nitty opponents + Retarded opponents + Knowing I have work the next day = Frustration = C-Game.
New year just around the corner, and I will predge to always play my A-game (or quit when I am not). I am really going to start of fresh, with renewed determination, because my A-game kicks ass!
"...all the people who have won lots of money over many years at poker have three things in common. They have an A-game that will beat someone else's A-game. They play against those people. And they play their A-game dang near always..."
On a side note, I went out last, and got so drunk that the night is black out. My god!
Sunday, 14 December 2008
Early night thanks to Rob...
Weekends can be long nights, tables full of fish dishing out stacks to everyone but you, while you wait patiently for a hand to take a bite with.
You watch while horrible plays are rewarded, you cringe as the whale at the table is stacked for the 5th and final time leaving you behind as he makes his way out of the card room.
You chip up through solid poker, pounding position, and picking your spots carefully.
Sometimes you get a cooler go your way, sometimes you run your Kings into Aces, all in on a dry 5 high board.
There are times when every flush draw gets there against you, and there are the times when you spike your set and double through against an opponent unwilling to lay an over pair down.
Its a grind for sure.
Then there is playing against Rob! Who is quite willing to give you £600 of his money in space of 10 minutes.
This is a guy to be admired. This is a guy who trusts his gut, listens to his instincts.
His plays cant be defined through any logical or mathematical reasoning (game theory). He smells weakness and he pounds.
He is the alpha male at the poker table, he will dominate you, and run over the table.
I am talking about a guy, who will proudly explain that limping with J9, then 3 betting a button raiser, and then calling a 4 bet shove is a good play. Standard play!
Thank you Rob for sending me home early on a Saturday. I was able to enjoy some quality time watching the X Factor results!
You watch while horrible plays are rewarded, you cringe as the whale at the table is stacked for the 5th and final time leaving you behind as he makes his way out of the card room.
You chip up through solid poker, pounding position, and picking your spots carefully.
Sometimes you get a cooler go your way, sometimes you run your Kings into Aces, all in on a dry 5 high board.
There are times when every flush draw gets there against you, and there are the times when you spike your set and double through against an opponent unwilling to lay an over pair down.
Its a grind for sure.
Then there is playing against Rob! Who is quite willing to give you £600 of his money in space of 10 minutes.
This is a guy to be admired. This is a guy who trusts his gut, listens to his instincts.
His plays cant be defined through any logical or mathematical reasoning (game theory). He smells weakness and he pounds.
He is the alpha male at the poker table, he will dominate you, and run over the table.
I am talking about a guy, who will proudly explain that limping with J9, then 3 betting a button raiser, and then calling a 4 bet shove is a good play. Standard play!
Thank you Rob for sending me home early on a Saturday. I was able to enjoy some quality time watching the X Factor results!
Sunday, 7 December 2008
A tale of 2 gutshots and a whole bunch of semi bluffing...
3 weeks ago, Saturday morning around 3am, late into a session I had £650 in front of me. I was about £50 up on the session.
I was dealt K9 off suit in the big blind, there was a raise in early position from a very weak player who had around £300 in play. This £300 may of been £50 because of how scared he was playing. He must of sat down with £80, and spun it up.
He made it £8 to play, which is basically AQ,AJ,and at a stretch AK. I know this because this dude plays real bad, and pretty much labels his hands via his pre flop raises. I also know that with a little pressure I can pretty much take this kid off a hand post flop.
There was one caller (button) ahead of me, and I called the extra £6.
Flop came down Q J x. I flopped a gutshot. I decided that this was enough to make a play, and checked with the intention of check raising big.
Our weak opponent lead £25 into the pot, AQ connected (he confirmed after the hand he did have AQ). The button called.
Now, with £75 (£25+£25+£8+£8+£8+£1) in the pot I made my play. I raised it to £107 total. I am basically risking £100 to win £75. Now the way I see it is the play has to be work just a little bit more often than 50% of the time to be profitable.
Factoring into the equation the equity (however small it may be I still have outs!), and future meta-game implications, together with the huge fold equity I have (at least against the pre flop raiser); I like my play.
(For future reference my equity in this spot vs ONLY the original pre flop raiser with a very tight range is 26.56 % vs 73.43 %.)
This particular opponent is folding TPTK over 60-70% (if not more in this spot).
After tanking for 5 minutes we get one fold, but a snap call from the button. The turn card pairs the board, and out of position, and fearing a set / turned house, I check over, my opponent checks.
The river is a blur. I think it was an 8. I miss anyway. I lead £175 into the pot, and get snapped shoved on, and have to fold. The guy told me he was up and down on the flop with 10 9 and got there on the river. I wish I shoved the turn now, and if I didn't shove the turn, I wish I check folded the river.
Although I played this hand pretty bad in several spots, significantly not considering the fact that it was a multi way pot, and spewing on the river, I was not too disheartened.
Fast forward to about a week ago, and let again I have chipped up and have over £800 in play. I am dealt 10 9 off in the hijack, with 1 limper ahead of I make it £10 to play.
The button calls, the limper folds. So a quick profile on my opponent: I don't know his name, but I have played with him several times, though he is not a regular he plays pretty often. He is American, has a good solid understanding of the game, probably a winning player and some what of a nit.
Considering his perception of me (which is equally if not as important!), I think overall he thinks I am somewhat of a loose, aggressive donk.
In previous sessions he has witnessed me bet £100 into a pot of £10 on the river with 8 high (I got called!). He has seen me check raise Andre on a J high board up to £150 and fold to a shove (for £300 more), and he has also seen me get called by Jay when I shoved £150+ on the river with complete air.
During this current session I have been playing my usual solid / tight (seriously!) game, which is disgused as a loose game due to the high frequency of pre flop raising.
So anyway, with £25 (£10+£10+£2+£2+£1) in the pot; the flop is A J 5 rainbow. I make my standard continuation bet of £15, and get called pretty quickly.
With a dry board like this, and against this opponent, defining his calling range is not hard; ace rag suited hands, big Aces (AJ, AQ, AK -less likely because I am probably getting re raised pre flop with at least AQ / AK +70% of the time -especially in position though this guy is nitty he is still good enough the 3 bet on the button). KJ / QJ and maybe 10 10 or 9 9 (but unlikely).
The turn is a 7 of clubs, putting both a flush and straight draw on the board -giving me the gutshot draw to the 8.
Out of position I don't like firing the second barrel, I opt to check. There is £55 in the pot, and he bets £25. Now with this bet, I am really able to tighten his range. Ace rag suited through to AK, including AJ for two pair, or a set.
Now maybe I am guilty of over thinking the situation but if he has Jack x hands, or under pairs, due his showdown value I don't see him betting here, and with all the draws on the board now the weak bet, is well...weak.
So I decide he has an ace, and cant withstand a check raise. So I re pop to £125. Now the relative stacks are £600+, so if he comes over the top, I am folding, and if he flats I am leaving enough money behind for a river bluff if need be.
He tanks for 5 minutes, and I figure (correctly) he has top two with AJ, he makes the call. I don't know if he is trapping or is playing scared. I still cant figure that much out now. Trapping on that board and with over £300 in the pot is just plain dumb. But then again if he shoves I am only calling with hands that beat him. So which ever way you look at it its tough spot with around £500 still in play.
I decide I am pretty much shoving any river, and am definitely confident I will fold out AJ. The river is the sick 8 of clubs. I make the nut straight, but a flush is on the board now.
I am not scared of the flush, but I am scared its going to kill my action. I shove. He has to call £400 plus with AJ, and let me tell you on a final board of AcJd5s7c8c I simply am not making this call in his spot.
But this guy has seen me make donk plays on turns, and river shoves with air and am hoping he has good recall!
This dude is tanking for good 5 minutes, after which point I ask the dealer if my opponent agrees I could show him one card. I desperately want to show him I don't have the flush. We agree and I show him a red 9. Blam! Now he is thinking real hard.
After another 5 minutes he says "if you raised me £125 on the turn with a gutshot....well then you deserve this!" and makes the call (tabling AJ).
Ship!
OK, I have so much to write regarding the utilisation of deep stacks, and player profiling but enough for today.
Not keeping tight records until January (due to the experimental nature of my current play), but it was nice to have a +£4k four week period. Playing £1-£2 with a deep bankroll!
Holla to my boy EJ, missing you man! Hope you are still reading!
Yigit out!
Need to keep the blog colourful for the ladies, so here is an old pic...always drink and play!
I was dealt K9 off suit in the big blind, there was a raise in early position from a very weak player who had around £300 in play. This £300 may of been £50 because of how scared he was playing. He must of sat down with £80, and spun it up.
He made it £8 to play, which is basically AQ,AJ,and at a stretch AK. I know this because this dude plays real bad, and pretty much labels his hands via his pre flop raises. I also know that with a little pressure I can pretty much take this kid off a hand post flop.
There was one caller (button) ahead of me, and I called the extra £6.
Flop came down Q J x. I flopped a gutshot. I decided that this was enough to make a play, and checked with the intention of check raising big.
Our weak opponent lead £25 into the pot, AQ connected (he confirmed after the hand he did have AQ). The button called.
Now, with £75 (£25+£25+£8+£8+£8+£1) in the pot I made my play. I raised it to £107 total. I am basically risking £100 to win £75. Now the way I see it is the play has to be work just a little bit more often than 50% of the time to be profitable.
Factoring into the equation the equity (however small it may be I still have outs!), and future meta-game implications, together with the huge fold equity I have (at least against the pre flop raiser); I like my play.
(For future reference my equity in this spot vs ONLY the original pre flop raiser with a very tight range is 26.56 % vs 73.43 %.)
This particular opponent is folding TPTK over 60-70% (if not more in this spot).
After tanking for 5 minutes we get one fold, but a snap call from the button. The turn card pairs the board, and out of position, and fearing a set / turned house, I check over, my opponent checks.
The river is a blur. I think it was an 8. I miss anyway. I lead £175 into the pot, and get snapped shoved on, and have to fold. The guy told me he was up and down on the flop with 10 9 and got there on the river. I wish I shoved the turn now, and if I didn't shove the turn, I wish I check folded the river.
Although I played this hand pretty bad in several spots, significantly not considering the fact that it was a multi way pot, and spewing on the river, I was not too disheartened.
Fast forward to about a week ago, and let again I have chipped up and have over £800 in play. I am dealt 10 9 off in the hijack, with 1 limper ahead of I make it £10 to play.
The button calls, the limper folds. So a quick profile on my opponent: I don't know his name, but I have played with him several times, though he is not a regular he plays pretty often. He is American, has a good solid understanding of the game, probably a winning player and some what of a nit.
Considering his perception of me (which is equally if not as important!), I think overall he thinks I am somewhat of a loose, aggressive donk.
In previous sessions he has witnessed me bet £100 into a pot of £10 on the river with 8 high (I got called!). He has seen me check raise Andre on a J high board up to £150 and fold to a shove (for £300 more), and he has also seen me get called by Jay when I shoved £150+ on the river with complete air.
During this current session I have been playing my usual solid / tight (seriously!) game, which is disgused as a loose game due to the high frequency of pre flop raising.
So anyway, with £25 (£10+£10+£2+£2+£1) in the pot; the flop is A J 5 rainbow. I make my standard continuation bet of £15, and get called pretty quickly.
With a dry board like this, and against this opponent, defining his calling range is not hard; ace rag suited hands, big Aces (AJ, AQ, AK -less likely because I am probably getting re raised pre flop with at least AQ / AK +70% of the time -especially in position though this guy is nitty he is still good enough the 3 bet on the button). KJ / QJ and maybe 10 10 or 9 9 (but unlikely).
The turn is a 7 of clubs, putting both a flush and straight draw on the board -giving me the gutshot draw to the 8.
Out of position I don't like firing the second barrel, I opt to check. There is £55 in the pot, and he bets £25. Now with this bet, I am really able to tighten his range. Ace rag suited through to AK, including AJ for two pair, or a set.
Now maybe I am guilty of over thinking the situation but if he has Jack x hands, or under pairs, due his showdown value I don't see him betting here, and with all the draws on the board now the weak bet, is well...weak.
So I decide he has an ace, and cant withstand a check raise. So I re pop to £125. Now the relative stacks are £600+, so if he comes over the top, I am folding, and if he flats I am leaving enough money behind for a river bluff if need be.
He tanks for 5 minutes, and I figure (correctly) he has top two with AJ, he makes the call. I don't know if he is trapping or is playing scared. I still cant figure that much out now. Trapping on that board and with over £300 in the pot is just plain dumb. But then again if he shoves I am only calling with hands that beat him. So which ever way you look at it its tough spot with around £500 still in play.
I decide I am pretty much shoving any river, and am definitely confident I will fold out AJ. The river is the sick 8 of clubs. I make the nut straight, but a flush is on the board now.
I am not scared of the flush, but I am scared its going to kill my action. I shove. He has to call £400 plus with AJ, and let me tell you on a final board of AcJd5s7c8c I simply am not making this call in his spot.
But this guy has seen me make donk plays on turns, and river shoves with air and am hoping he has good recall!
This dude is tanking for good 5 minutes, after which point I ask the dealer if my opponent agrees I could show him one card. I desperately want to show him I don't have the flush. We agree and I show him a red 9. Blam! Now he is thinking real hard.
After another 5 minutes he says "if you raised me £125 on the turn with a gutshot....well then you deserve this!" and makes the call (tabling AJ).
Ship!
OK, I have so much to write regarding the utilisation of deep stacks, and player profiling but enough for today.
Not keeping tight records until January (due to the experimental nature of my current play), but it was nice to have a +£4k four week period. Playing £1-£2 with a deep bankroll!
Holla to my boy EJ, missing you man! Hope you are still reading!
Yigit out!
Need to keep the blog colourful for the ladies, so here is an old pic...always drink and play!
Friday, 5 December 2008
Running good?
As I have always claimed; I run better than the average guy.
But a logical person would tell you that there is no such thing as "running good" or "running bad", and that "streaks" and "hot spells" do not really exist.
Every hand of poker is an isolated entity of its own, it is not apart of a string of hands (excluding emotional implications on both yours and your opponents' game, as well as meta game influences).
Just because you had a winning session on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday does not make it more or less likely that you will lose Friday.
But knowing this I even say to myself at times; "my god I am running good".
Every one is equally lucky and unlucky over the course of an extended period of time (long term) we are all going to get the same amount of good cards, bad beats, and out draws.
Or at least mathematically speaking that is the case.
I will not spread my negativity, instead I will spread word of my positivity. I will claim to be luckier than the average guy, and advertise this image.
I will manipulate this image and use is as an additional edge in the game.
I really don't give a fuck about fat short stacking pricks, and old retarded life time losers think about me!
But a part of my game involves aggression, and provocation. So you will not see me shy away from confrontation (both during hands and out of hands).
Anyway I just quickly wanted to get that off my chest, next post I want to talk about deep stacks and big bets. Meehhh!
Yigit out!
But a logical person would tell you that there is no such thing as "running good" or "running bad", and that "streaks" and "hot spells" do not really exist.
Every hand of poker is an isolated entity of its own, it is not apart of a string of hands (excluding emotional implications on both yours and your opponents' game, as well as meta game influences).
Just because you had a winning session on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday does not make it more or less likely that you will lose Friday.
But knowing this I even say to myself at times; "my god I am running good".
Every one is equally lucky and unlucky over the course of an extended period of time (long term) we are all going to get the same amount of good cards, bad beats, and out draws.
Or at least mathematically speaking that is the case.
I will not spread my negativity, instead I will spread word of my positivity. I will claim to be luckier than the average guy, and advertise this image.
I will manipulate this image and use is as an additional edge in the game.
I really don't give a fuck about fat short stacking pricks, and old retarded life time losers think about me!
But a part of my game involves aggression, and provocation. So you will not see me shy away from confrontation (both during hands and out of hands).
Anyway I just quickly wanted to get that off my chest, next post I want to talk about deep stacks and big bets. Meehhh!
Yigit out!
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