Losing Again

I've lost the last 5 sessions or something, and my attitude has been fucking awful. Even after all my consecutive winning sessions, the first of these 5 I just knew with absolute certainty that I was going to lose. Ditto the previous 4. I was in a semi bad mood in all 5, and rather than kick my dog or beat up my girlfriend or whatever normal people do I take it out on myself masochism style by playing sky high variance/ sky high losing poker.

After the latest session today I played a tournament, I ran my 3k starting stack up to 16000 after an hour and a half. Being probably the best A-game player in the field, and also 3rd in chips, I had a real chance of going deep and doing something.

Then I squeezed 72 and showed. Then I cold 4bet AJ and somehow stacked some geezer. Then I spewed all my chips on a J8o bluff or something. All because at random intervals in my life I turn into a massive degenerate loser.

Berating myself like this, and believing it, is the only way to fix it. I just entered another tourny, and will treat the $t amounts like cash. I'm about to load up 5 tables of AP, and will make a video narrating my play to hopefully kick start off another run.

Cash session goals:

have some pride obv

1) Open much less UTG, UTG+1, stop doing massive bluffs when no need
2) Shut down more postflop when OOP, c-call hands and especially don't be value/ fps obsessed. -POSITION!!!!!!!!!
3) 3bet the SB slightly less, but if you can't 3bet because of gameflow then ditch those pretty looking hands unless multiway (and even then, good reasons ie deep or fish involved).
4)Use Baz-esq meditation to be constantly aware of what I'm thinking- if mind drifts get it back on poker sharpish or quit.
5) In postflop spot, apply the 3 aspects of hand reading and don't be afraid to use these to make big calls or big folds.
6) HEALTHY DISRESPECT FOR THESE TRANSPARENT AP CLOWNS

Tourny Goals:

Treat the $t amounts like cash, play in a 3bet happy cash game style early on but be ready to GU.
Avoid higher variance OOP thinnish postflop spots- early folds
Breathe for 10 before committing tourny life


I'll upload the video just for a record, but I don't expect anyone to watch it so (Martin especially) don't go to the trouble of writing me a page of notes it only makes me feel bad!

dan

Boring Don't Read

I'm playing some live poker on Friday, so I need some money before then and my entire net worth is locked away in unreachable places.

So I'm bringing forward my monthly divide of winnings, based on the formula from a few blogs ago.

Net $ won for month: $7k (meh wish I hadn't dumped what turned out to be $7k the first 2 days back)

Rakeback: $1k
Points 4 Cash: $400
40% of $7k for savings = $2800
10% for spends = $700
10% for tourny roll = $700 ( already shifted into FTP tho)

Total Withdrawl: 1000+400+2800+700 = $4900

Of which $2100 is for spending

So at the end of August, I'll lump the rest of this month in with it....

Is all, I just want a record.

Some Hands

Mr Consistency motors on, 17 consecutive sessions and $9.5k since the whiny blog post.

Thought I'd post some hands, as my last struggles were really helped by reading my old winning blog posts and at some point in the future I'm going to appreciate coming back to read this:

$1/$2 No Limit Holdem • 5 Players • AbsolutePoker

Generated by weaktight.com.

UTG	CHEEZNUTT	$201
CO	DOYLEBRINSON	$283.58
BTN	RRWARR	$202.75
SB	PEEDY69	$201
BB	Hero	$213.91

• Pre-Flop ($3, 5 players)Hero is BB
• 

1 fold, DOYLEBRINSON raises to $6, 2 folds, Hero raises to $20, DOYLEBRINSON calls $14

• Flop ($41, 2 players)
• 

Hero bets $2, DOYLEBRINSON calls $2

• Turn ($45, 2 players)
• 

Hero bets $30, DOYLEBRINSON calls $30

• River ($105, 2 players)
• 

Hero checks, DOYLEBRINSON bets $56, Hero goes all-in $161.91, DOYLEBRINSON calls $105.91

• Final Pot: $428.82

• Hero shows
• 

• DOYLEBRINSON shows
• 

• Hero wins $425.32 (net +$211.41)
• DOYLEBRINSON lost $213.91

The above hand is a little interesting because of my river plans. The flop is obviously a misclick (I type in chat meant 22 as I put him on the basic level of thinking this looks weak). Turn is standard, and then on the river I have options. Bet is the most obvious, but the more I thought about the more I thought that it's not the most optimal VS almost any hand except 77, 99, TT which may not call anyway.

So once I check, I'm actually planning to do one of 3 things depending entirely on his betsize; CRAI, CC, even CF. I prolly can't re-iterate enough how important looking at betsizing is in order to soulread hands (and thus obviously most are completely unbalanced in their betsizing). Something like $76 would be a CC, as it can include all of nuts/ air/ worse hands betting for value. Something closer to pot, then I'd have a hard time putting him on thinish Jx value, and hard time seeing many bluffs in there at that price when my likely hand is total air or Ace hi at this point, so I'd consider folding.

$56 though is perfect for CRAI, it's smack in the middle 'vbetting a J' territory, and it's also probably designed to incude a bluff shove.......

$2/$4 No Limit Holdem • 5 Players • AbsolutePoker

Generated by weaktight.com.

UTG	VAKA_3	$550
CO	MONTEIROZOR	$919.90
BTN	Hero	$855
SB	LEGENDEN	$547.80
BB	LRDOFDARKNESS	$400

• Pre-Flop ($6, 5 players)Hero is BTN
• 

1 fold, MONTEIROZOR raises to $12, Hero raises to $40, 2 folds, MONTEIROZOR raises to $108, Hero calls $68

• Flop ($222, 2 players)
• 

MONTEIROZOR bets $115, Hero calls $115

• Turn ($452, 2 players)
• 

MONTEIROZOR bets $696.90, Hero calls $632

• River ($1,780.90, 2 players)
• 

• Final Pot: $1,780.90

• Hero shows
• 

• MONTEIROZOR shows
• 

• Hero wins $1,713 (net +$858)
• MONTEIROZOR collects $64.90 (net -$855)

I give no respect to deep 4bets whatsoever (for obvious standard weak regs = very polarised reasons), and especially on a 72 table I think a plan to 3bet/ call AK ip deep is by far the best option (over, for example, flatting it as most do when they don't want to get it in). Usually when I flat AK, I'm floating most flops as well.....

I guess the turn call is a little bit obviously 72/ standard, but prolly most important is considering the level of the player. GuiGui for example, I just know he's trying to make he think he has 72 and therefore has AA. This guy though, Mr Standard-Bad reg IMO is just putting his hand face up, especially this deep when that particular turn card smacks all my GS/ 2 pair range and the weak tight tendencies prevelant in this type of player would mean he really slows down on this particular card with AA.

$2/$4 No Limit Holdem • 5 Players • AbsolutePoker

Generated by weaktight.com.

UTG	LOSTNTHESAUS	$406
CO	Hero	$800
BTN	KRIKET28	$502.50
SB	DRAGON18S	$219.90
BB	MEGABET	$778

• Pre-Flop ($6, 5 players)Hero is CO
• 

1 fold, Hero raises to $14, KRIKET28 raises to $44, 2 folds, Hero calls $30

• Flop ($94, 2 players)
• 

Hero checks, KRIKET28 bets $51, Hero calls $51

• Turn ($196, 2 players)
• 

Hero checks, KRIKET28 bets $119, Hero goes all-in $705, KRIKET28 calls $288.50

• River ($1,308.50, 2 players, 1 all-in)
• 

• Final Pot: $1,308.50

• KRIKET28 shows
• 

• Hero shows
• 

• KRIKET28 wins $1,007.50 (net +$505)
• Hero collects $297.50 (net -$502.50)

I guess this isn't terrible, but I think with my image it is in a vacuum. I'm quite happy though that I managed to throw this in on a table full of regs and still have a winning session, as the idea that I'm still capable of this sort of shit is central to my current more solid style. I guess going against the grain is the key, when I first started winning a lot Jan 2009, I turned from weak tight fish reg into spaz monkey overnight, and the adjustments were slow in coming. Right now, the above hand is just not in my profitable repotoire, and that's fine.

dan

Since My Last Blog....

13 consecutive winning sessions (not days, sessions). I didn't want to jinx it, but whatever what happens happens. I'm definitely back in the groove anyway and plan to ride this to a decent post-Vegas recovery, weeeeeeeeeeeeee

dan

Video Link

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=IKYMLWYB

Sanity Check Time

1) I think I'm playing reasonably well
2) I'm $1800 down today at AP 200nl
3) I might just be insane

I often advise this remedy to people in my position: make a video. Not a leggo one, because I don't have money on other sites and I'm too broke to put it there. But, a video that I'll post here that hopefully one of you might watch and tell me I haven't lost all my marbles.

It'll be a live one, so I might ramble incoherently at times, but hopefully someone comes back saying 'ya dan, not bad'.

Some key factors on which to grade myself:

• Playing in position religiously
• 100% focus on betsize and my perceived range
• Apply a shitton of PF pressure without over stretching myself

Video posted later on today once it's rendered etc....

Oh, and FUCK 200nl. This video will be at 400nl and I'm there to stay, and yes that does mean that the 20k hand prop bet where you all get $100 with no risk to yourself just for seeing me play 400nl is OFF. I repeat off, as last time I had to pay out a couple of stalking leggo members.

Video up soooooon.

dan

Definitely a downswing this one

My results January and February I loosely described as a downswing at the time, when in actual fact I had allowed myself to become a massive weak tight regfish and deserved to lose every penny that I did.

This current phase of struggling is just an infuriating downswing, peppered with the odd example of bad play but on the whole pretty solid. I'm not one to dwell though, so I'll just post the latest batch from the session I just played:

http://weaktight.com/2464659 - 3betting the flop is obviously fine/ standard, but with the Ac I elect to flat on this occasion... that leaves open the chance of him bluffing again at least. :(

http://weaktight.com/2464653 - I'd been literally 3betting the shit out of him... sad face

http://weaktight.com/2464662 - this one was my fault, I didn't see the flush draw as I was messing around with 8 tables arghhh *moody face*

Is all, going to play 45 minutes more now....

Today Results

I promised the results of the day's 4 sessions, and I *think* I remembered how to play again. All it took was insta dropping $6k since Sunday, and then peppering my entire screen with post-it notes "do's" and "don'ts".

I've still got a little way to go, I thought I was just about there until this hand in the last session:

$1/$2 No Limit Holdem • 5 Players

Generated by weaktight.com.

UTG	THE SICKO	$200
CO	BMOREG	$494.45
BTN	GFUNG	$175
SB	MJDADDY	$105.40
BB	Hero	$200

• Pre-Flop ($3, 5 players)Hero is BB
• 

THE SICKO raises to $7, BMOREG calls $7, 2 folds, Hero calls $5

• Flop ($22, 3 players)
• 

Hero bets $14, THE SICKO folds, BMOREG raises to $28, Hero raises to $68, BMOREG calls $40

• Turn ($158, 2 players)
• 

Hero bets $125, BMOREG calls $125

• River ($408, 2 players)
• 

• Final Pot: $408

• Hero shows
• 

• BMOREG shows
• 

• Hero wins $404.50 (net +$204.50)
• THE SICKO lost $7
• BMOREG lost $200

The flop I don't mind obviously, I think flatting is more optimal when IP, but OOP I have to negate the positional advantage and look to get it in there and then. Once he flats the 3bet though I'm in god awful shape and the 'fuck it arrrr in' shove had me feeling pretty ashamed........ I guess he might fold a raw higher flush draw, but still on that particular card I need to be looking to make a somewhat classy check fold.

In more positive news, I'm reading hands left right and centre..... it's basically a mindset thing for me, it needs no tilt and constant concentration on the 3 aspects of hand reading I outlined a few blogs ago. I've made some pretty big calls and big folds on the back of the PF assumptions, the betsizing of the opponent, and my perceived range:


Big Call:

$1/$2 No Limit Holdem • 6 Players

Generated by weaktight.com.

UTG	DUBKINGER420	$14.30
UTG+1	SP1DERR	$228.80
CO	FRANKIEBABS	$217.20
BTN	PAMPAMMAKE	$433.80
SB	Hero	$200
BB	BENKNACKAN	$210

• Pre-Flop ($3, 6 players)Hero is SB
• 

2 folds, FRANKIEBABS raises to $6, 1 fold, Hero raises to $20, 1 fold, FRANKIEBABS calls $14

• Flop ($42, 2 players)
• 

Hero checks, FRANKIEBABS checks

• Turn ($42, 2 players)
• 

Hero checks, FRANKIEBABS bets $25, Hero calls $25

• River ($92, 2 players)
• 

Hero checks, FRANKIEBABS bets $166, Hero calls $155

• Final Pot: $413

• Hero shows
• 

• FRANKIEBABS shows
• 

• Hero wins $398.50 (net +$198.50)
• FRANKIEBABS collects $11 (net -$200)

Big Fold: (by my standards anyway)

$1/$2 No Limit Holdem • 6 Players

Generated by weaktight.com.

UTG	PEEDY69	$200
UTG+1	ARSENIK666	$275.10
CO	KOOOX	$506.70
BTN	FISHFAN36	$129.80
SB	UNCR3ATIVE	$523.55
BB	Hero	$245.05

• Pre-Flop ($3, 6 players)Hero is BB
• 

PEEDY69 raises to $7, 3 folds, UNCR3ATIVE calls $6, Hero raises to $30, PEEDY69 calls $23, UNCR3ATIVE calls $23

• Flop ($90, 3 players)
• 

UNCR3ATIVE checks, Hero checks, PEEDY69 bets $36, UNCR3ATIVE folds, Hero calls $36

• Turn ($162, 2 players)
• 

Hero checks, PEEDY69 bets $52, Hero folds

• Final Pot: $214

• PEEDY69 wins $210.50 (net +$92.50)
• UNCR3ATIVE lost $30
• Hero lost $66

I've still another ~13k hands (or $3070) to go before I hit midstakes again.

dan