Session 2

Won again (700ish), though sadly probably more a function of run good than 'default of winning poker'. I didn't lose any big pots though, which must be at least in part a function of making big early folds.

I've still the same goals for session 3 until they're properly nailed down.......

dan

Session 1

I'm not supposed to check the cashier, nevertheless I won money and for the first time in a week my red line was decently positive.

http://weaktight.com/2792241 -this hand I had a lot of conflicting ideas. On the one hand I hate checking the turn and allowing him a free look with all his draws (although, on 2nd thoughts, he probably bets them anyway), on the other getting raised is sad but probably doesn't happen that often. Also, calling flop leading turn usually gets zero respect, but then if he's sat there with AJ I doubt he's raising to commit this big.

I notice in Oldjude's quite often he outlines his plan, ie here he'd say 'I'm gonna call the flop and lead the turn and river as I don't expect to get any respect', but then something different'll happen like this commiting raise and he'll happily re-evaluate, whereas I tend to get fish hooked to my plan. It works out sometimes of course, just occasionally a certain turn betsize or timing tell or something should allow me to escape and I don't take the opportunity.

So back to the hand....... I feel like call call call is the best line, given call/ lead/ fold is gay and at least opens the door to the odd bluff. The biggest lesson in this hand though for me, is that PF I should just fold this in the SB to an UTGr.

Positional Awareness: D

I still don't really fold top pair and don't intend to start, but still this spot makes me a little sad. He knows I'm not barrelling this turn a lot with bluffs, he knows I don't fold, he knows he only reps 5x and doesn't have too many of them. I could fold turn, but my religion doesn't allow me to. http://weaktight.com/2792262 Having said that call call must be better.

This bastard fish raises all kinds of "dont raise those" type hands on the flop, so I like my plan but he binked and I failed http://weaktight.com/2792274

So I was stuck for quite a bit of this session, luckily (and not for the first time) Carrotsnake came to my rescue with one of his specials http://weaktight.com/2792278 .

So my goals remain the same going into session 2........

dan

Year Zero (AKA here we go again)

What can I say. I have FORGOTTEN how to play poker. I'm not even lying. It's not just that I'm losing, or running bad and lacking confidence, it's that I'm staring at my screen while I play and my mind is UTTERLY blank.

There's just, nothing there. The example I gave earlier is that it's like watching a chess match between 2 grand masters. Yes I'm aware of the pieces (cards), yes I have some vague semblance of the goal of winning; but the important stuff of actually being able to look at a situation and see all its intricies and complexities has completely left me.

It means, for example, that I'll 3bet 97s in the blinds and get flatted. Flop Q64hh.

Hmm.....

Bet?

I guess.

Ok

Called, turn is J h.

Bet?

Shrug

Give up?

FUCK KNOWS !

This thought process is re-occurring every hand. I don't know where the knowledge has gone, it's simply left me. Maybe stolen, in which case at least it's being put to good use. I see Dushelov's finally starting to win some money, so he's the #1 suspect right now.

I started watching Dodgy's video that he sent me again. I tried to message him my thoughts, but the facebook client wouldn't allow a blank message.

But anyway wherever it's gone, I need to start on the slow process of getting it back. I lost $1k today, and tilt withdrew another $3.5k (by the way, I highly recommend withdrawing money to deal with the stress of a losing day). My roll now sits pretty at $6.5k.

So obviously 200nl until I make 20 or so BIs, or until I'm so confident that I step up to 400nl on this roll. Not seeming likely at this moment in time, but anyway maybe.

So first things first, the way to get it back is to set myself session goals. Then play a session, then review said session against said goals. The way I've always done in other words.

So my goals for this upcoming session are:

• Make big early folds.
• Be positionally aware.

Simple things, which aren't going to help by themselves. However the route back to profit is to nail a couple of goals at a time.

So, session review coming up....... I don't necessarily expect to win but it does at least put me back on a path.

dan

The Conlon Manoeuvre

What is The Conlon Manoeuvre? If you haven't already guessed, it's withdrawing most of your roll....... this is done sometimes by virtue of tilt, often with a promise of 'quitting' poker, but the manoeuvre itself is simply the act of putting out of action that money which you no longer trust yourself not to gamble away recklessly.

Today I withdrew my roll down to $10k. I'm only stuck $3k for the month, but I could easily be much much more. I'm down because I lost the will to win for some reason at the start of the month. Don't ask me why, it just disappeared. It seems to have come back today, but in case it actually hasn't then I don't trust myself to start 12 tabling 5-10 with a bad mood and a light head.

Having a $10k roll somehow keeps up the pressure that I doubtless need. Yes, it sets me back on some of my poker goals, namely moving to 5-10 full time ASAP, but before I do that anyway I would like a much larger sample of consistently winning the money than the past 85k hands at $20k in winnings.

Some big technical leaks have crept in as of late. I'm back to opening 22% UTG, I'm creating big pots with marginal hands, I'm out-levelling myself with river bluffs, I'm autopiloting on 12 tables (a real killer), etc. The month is young, 21 days left and a 20k hand run of 200nl will leave me with enough time to make 5 figures again in October.

http://bigbobspoker.blogspot.com/ is my current apprentice (/ father in law to be). He's learning cash from the 0.05-0.10 limit, so if anyone can spare the odd comment I'm sure it would make his day.

Is all, dan

My Apprentice's Blog

http://bigbobspoker.blogspot.com/

More accurately, my father in law-to-be. But he's learning cash at the very micros so check it out.

dan

No Cashier Time

I've never known what it is to be unmotivated before. I guess, around the time I was supposed to start getting less motivated was probably this time last year. What happened then though is that I started struggling.

Up and down, I've felt like I've been struggling ever since. I can't relax at all when I'm struggling. Like every time I had some Fifa night or stag do or whatever I'd secretly just want to be putting work in to get me back onto an even keel.

At the moment I feel like I play perfectly every time I sit down. Unless I start losing, or until I move up in stakes, there's a chance I'm going to keep feeling like this.

But anyway, the purpose of this blog is to say that I've put in barely any hands since coming back from London, and the ones I have put in have been much less than 100% effort. I need to sort this out, and stop checking my cashier to see if I've met my days $ quota yet. That kind of stuff is a killer, so until this time next week I'm not checking HEM or my cashier at all, and instead am returning to the aim of playing each and every hand to my 100% best ability.

Then I'll post a graph, and either dance or cry. Being rid of the hourly progress checks is a massive relief though.

dan

Vid Link

I've uploaded the vid I did now, I've forgotten who asked for the link so if you did then please hit me up again. Dodgy your review you'll receive tomorrow. Fuller entry to follow, dan