Wednesday, December 31, 2008

end of the month/ new year

hello everyone. just a little update.

2009 already almost? damn that's kinda ridiculous. i can't believe how much time flies when you get old...

december was a very good month. actually my best month ever that i can think of. i don't have my old database, since i got my new computer, but i'm almost positive that it is me best month, especially since the other months were at 25nl and this month was at 50nl and 100nl. the games in december have been very good and i hope they stay that way at least for the first part of the month since i'm going to have to put in such a huge volume to clear my end of the year bonus.

i am very pleased with my progression threw out the year. to think of the player i was in june/july, and to think of the player i am now is truly remarkable. i look back at those times and just think "wow i really was bad, and i still made a little $" that gives me alot of motivation for the upcoming year.

i have to thank the people that help me make such a huge transformation in my game:

first VinnyVT he was the first person i started to take lessons from and planted the seeds of good TAG play and got me going.

SplitSuit (SS), he has taken my game from meh to almost balla. i still have some leaks to sew up to become truly very good (i might be there at 50 already but i wanna b great at 100+) but without SS i truly would not b where i'm at. only because of poker i've been able to pay bills these last few months with the casino being so slow and our winter storm that snowed us in for 10 days. so thank you SOOOOO much SS, you truely have been a blessing this year.

everyone @ 2+2, to everyone who made meaning full posts and truely help me get better i thank you. there's really too many to name, but thank you for everything to the 2+2 community.

i have some goals that i think are very reachable for 2009. depending on how the new job works out, i plan on putting a lot of time and effort into poker again so i start to see substantial money to use to help better the quality of life for me and my family (down payment on a house, pay off debt, etc., etc.,)

1.) end year at 200nl w/ shot takes at 400nl
2.) bankroll at 10K+
3.) learn a new game/ start playing 6max to expand my poker knowledge
4.) plug up the leaks that keep me from taking it to the next level
5.) HyperFocus (SS term)
6.) do a video/article for a training site
7.) always make the +EV moves, in poker and life
8.) start a lifestyle change: healthy eating & exercise

well have a safe night everyone. i hope all of your dreams and goals come true in 2009.

Sunday, December 28, 2008

back to reality

my return to reality starts tomorrow when i go back to work. i should have been back on friday but i had a horrible sour throat and went to the doc and they told me not to go back to work until sunday. that is when i shouldn't be contagious anymore. so tomorrow is back to normal.

the last ten days have really been nice. i've had so much time to spend with the wife and kid. it's been kinda nice living a somewhat normal life and being here at night when the kid goes to sleep. i do love working nights but this shows me how much i do miss on a daily basis.

christmas was unbelievable. i got the best present ever from my wife! she got me Blazers tickets when they play the Lakers in portland, so needless to say i can't wait for that to come up. the kid got so much stuff it was overwhelming. our house is now littered with even more toys, which doesn't really seem possible. i look at her and am just in aww, she's so frickin ridiculous. i know most parents are biased but i have the cutest kid in the world, and she amazes me everyday with the new things she's doing and learning.

another thing the time at home has allowed me to do is play lots of poker. i've been doing pretty well for the month, and i've deffinately noticed the games are very good right now, which i have been told happens this time of year. if only every month was like december online. i've played a bit of 100, but still don't have enough $ in the BR for me to feel comfortable to give it a consistent go. so in a way this little break has sucked because i had to w/d more than usual for bills (thank God i can play poker and make $ doing it) and if it wasn't for that then i'd be more than comfortable for 100nl...but meh i guess. it's deffinately been worth being home and being with the family, so it was worth the trade off.

i've been trying to open things up a little bit and am trying to get up to a 17/12-18/14ish type game. the last few sessions i've been running about 16/12 and have been doing well. i figure now is the time, with the games being so good, to try out some new things, especially if it includes playing more hands with donks...

have a good start of the week everyone.

Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Merry Christmas

hello everyone. just wanted to wish everyone a merry christmas. i hope you all have a wonderful time with all your family and enjoy the time with your family. christmas is always busy around my house just because the wifes' family is ridiculously big so we always have a ton of stops to get to. but it's always nice, a little hectic, but good to be with family.

poker wise nothing really going on. played 100nl as a favor for SS because i was supposed to record a video for him. i was really bummed when the video that i made (which was really good) didn't get saved on my computer and was lost for good. one thing did come of this as i played more 100nl then i ever have (and in one day no less) i played around 1500 hands and it got me a little more comfortable with 100nl and the bet sizing and everything that goes with bumping up a level. so good looking out SplitSuit.

so for the rest of the month i'm actually considering just playing 100. the amount of rakeback and FTP you receive is basically double of 50 (ldo), it's just a huge jump up and given the fact that i'm going to need to get alot of FTP in the month of january it'd be a big help with clearing my bonus, but we'll see how i feel.

on a positive note i was offered a job today with the company that i have been interviewing with. i have somewhat mixed feelings about it. it is going to be a very good opportunity and very possibly can be a career for the rest of my life, but, just like when you try anything new, i'm a little nervous about the whole situation. it's a completely different life change. i feel that i have the easiest job in the world. sure i haven't been making money lately cuz of the damn economy but it's generally so easy to make money it's kinda ridiculous. i love working nights, my wife hates it of course, so i don't know what to think, but i guess we all have to grow up sometime, just wasn't ready for it to happen this quickly. the next month is definitely going to suck though. i was hired as a part time employee and then will be moved to a FT employee after i get to know the business and see if i like it. .

so january is going to be unbelievably busy. i'm going to be working 2 different jobs 7 days a week, plus having to log serious hours to clear my end of the year bonus. so needless to say i'm not going to be sleeping much in the month of january, but whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger i hear (which is funny because w/ all the shit i've been threw lately i'm probably fucking invincible at the moment).

well have a wonderful christmas everyone and enjoy the time with your families.

Saturday, December 20, 2008

stuck at home

what's up everybody. so i have to say snow is pretty and all, but this sucks. i'm stuck at home, can't work, and more snow is on the way...ridiculous.

so life wise things are a little better. my dad has been my personal chauefer the last few days since he has a 4wd truck. we talked some things out and i feel a little better about everything. i've learned (from him and my wife) that i keep things bottled up and don't show emotions or feelings and that is probably why i think about old demons at times.

i have been playing alot of poker lately since i've been stuck at home. been doing pretty decent. i had to make a few extra w/d (thank God for poker) because i've been stuck at home, and not working. so i am not playing 100nl anymore. which i'm a little bummed about but hopefully after this month and next month, after i clear my bonus, my bankroll will be set up for 100nl. ok so i've never done this before in my life and i feel like it's huge thing in my "poker career": i folded Kings pre-flop, yes u read that right PRE-FLOP!, this situation might have been pretty obvious. but i was impressed with myself that i had the discipline to hit the fold button....villian #1 is running 12/8 for a good sample and villian 2 is like 25/15 for a small sample.


Full Tilt Poker, $0.25/$0.50 NL Hold'em Cash Game, 8 PlayersLeggoPoker.com Hand History Converter
MP1: $62.65

MP2: $49.50

Hero (CO): $50

BTN: $37.65

SB: $60.35

BB: $44.10

UTG: $20.70

UTG+1: $52.60


Pre-Flop: Kc Kh dealt to Hero (CO)

2 folds,

MP1 calls $0.50,

MP2 raises to $2.25,

Hero raises to $8.50,

BTN raises to $37.65 and is All-In,

3 folds,

MP2 raises to $49.50 and is All-In,

Hero folds


Flop: ($85.05) Qd 4s 8h (2 Players - 1 is All-In)
Turn: ($85.05) Th (2 Players - 1 is All-In)
River: ($85.05) 4c (2 Players - 1 is All-In)
Results: $85.05 Pot ($3 Rake)

MP2 showed As Ac (two pair, Aces and Fours) and WON $82.05 (+$44.40 NET)

BTN showed Ks Kd (two pair, Kings and Fours) and LOST (-$37.65 NET)

Monday, December 15, 2008

good weekend

hey everybody, just a little update:

i'm basically stuck at home lately because of this wonderful weather we're having and the fact that the casino i work at called me and told me not to bother to come because of the roads. which is honestly really awesome and really shitty...awesome because i can just relax hang w/ the wife and kid and play poker for the $ i'm missing by not working, but really shitty because i won't see the $ i've made until at least 10 days, because it has to go threw all the normal w/d bs...

so poker wise i feel like i've made huge strides the last week. i've been absolutely killing 50nl lately. mainly because of the last lesson i had w/ SS and my realization of me giving villains too much credit, and my lack of value betting in spots where i should be. i'm starting to not always give villain the nuts when they're against me and it really has payed huge dividends. on thursday i had my biggest winning day ever at 50nl. i did run slightly well, but really played well also, and that doesn't always happen. since thursday i'm up 15 BI, so needless to say i'm playing well. things really have been a lot clearer, as far as players ranges lately, and i've been value betting in spots i never have and my winrate has just soared.

i took a 100nl shot and that went well also, it's a very small sample and i did run well in it , but i'm still trying to get comfortable with it. i tried again today and just really felt a little nervous again about the money, so i stopped playing 100nl for the day and am probably gunna take it up tomorrow.

i think i made a discovery that i have bankroll/going broke issues. my bankroll for 50nl is definitely enough to where i don't feel scared about going broke and i've noticed lately the fact that i've made sum plays that i know i wouldn't have made 2 months ago. plays that i know will work and are +EV but wouldn't in the past because i didn't want to risk the $. so i think i see this in my shot takes because i'm sitting there looking at 100 on the screen rather than 50 and it nits me up a bit, but i'll get comfortable as the BR grows and the more hands i put in at 100.

life wise i don't really know what's going on anymore. i have issues in my head that won't go away, and some old demons are trying to creep back into my brain, which makes things that much more stressful. sometime i feel like i just can't do anything right, and that i don't make anyone happy. just feels that no matter what i do i'm doomed, and nothing is going to work out like i want it to/it should.

one last note (me whining/BBV) i've been on the good end of set over set 4 times in my online poker career. all the money has went in on the flop and i have only won 1 of them. how is that even possible? THREE times out of four they've hit their quads, the most recent happened yesterday and it got me thinking wtf, how is that possible? and of course i've never hit quads in the handful of times i've been on the bad end of set over set, so ridiculous!

Thursday, December 11, 2008

life

*parental advisory: there's a little swearing in this post...so fucking deal with it.

what's up all. just thought i'd make a little post since i've been in somewhat of a funk lately, figured maybe venting would make me feel a little better...we'll c.

so lately i just really haven't been happy i don't think. first of all my family situation is just fucked. (my mom and dad/siblings, not wife and kid...) there's an issue in my family that i don't understand and don't really wanna go into it but lets just say it could drive a guy to drink. i'm basically the middle man of what is a feud that will honestly probably be never ending. and it pissses me off so fucking much i can't stand it. why can't they just wake the fuck up and realize life is TOO SHORT for this kind of shit. it's so fucking ridiculous i wanna fucking punch myself in the fucking head, and let me tell you it's not fun. so if ur reading this please don't be angry w/ me i'm just telling you my situation and this is all so fucking ridiculous. i love you very much and just don't understand.

i also think i'm starting to get used to my role as a provider/man of the house. i've learned that sum things are better left unsaid when it will just cause grief. i feel that others shouldn't have to feel the pain/ stress i have (for those that don't truly know me i'm very stoic and generally never show emotion at all). i mean shit i'm the supposive "rock" of the family. so why should i talk about shit and give unnecessary stress/pain that i feel. might be a fucked up way to think about shit but hey it's me...my wife is somewhat emotionally fragile and i don't feel the need to tell her things that is going to cause her stress that (trust me honey) is just not necessary. like i said i'm the rock, i deal with all the shit/stress, and you handle the rest. luv u boo.

i have another job interview tomorrow and i just feel kinda meh about it. it would definitely be a great opportunity but if i've learned anything about myself it is that i don't like change. i'm very comfortable with my life (except for the above...ldo) and changing careers seems somewhat scary. my job is honestly so easy and i basically count for money. (good money for doing nothing really) so the fact that i might have to start actually working and trying to sell shit stresses me somewhat, but before i give myself the job i guess i'll see what tomorrow brings.

poker has been ok, i had a lesson w/ SS on monday and i thought it went very well. i've learned i'm basically fucking myself w/ my post flop play. i'm playing way too nitty/passively, not value betting where i should, and giving people WAY too much credit. i'm very pessimistic and it has creeped into my poker playing which is way not good at all. so this month i'm going to try and really objectively look at there likely range and commit a little more easily. we'll c if i'm way spewing at first, but i feel like that when i look at there range objectively and add the bottom/ random shit people show up with it'll work out fine.

for those of you that actually read this whole thing hug the ones u luv and never let 'em go, because life is too short to have regrets.

hmm...i actually think that worked, i feel a little better.

Sunday, December 7, 2008

been lazy

what's up all, it's been a super lazy month for me, well at least poker wise.

i've only played three days so far this month, kind of by choice and just not really into it. i've noticed a huge difference in the games this month (way nittier, and more dec players, probably because everyone is going for their end of the year bonus). i've been playing alot the last 6 months and i've decided (kind of subconsciously) to take this month easy. i'm still going to play enough to make my end of the year bonus, but am not planning on putting in the volume i normally do. january is going to be a big month (volume wise) in order to clear my end of the year bonus so i'm going to play a little and study and go over HH so i can identify and plug some leaks going into 2009.

i had a job interview on thursday and it went pretty well. it's for a 2B (yes that's billion) a year company, so really what could be wrong about working for a big corporation. the thing that excites me about it is that it could actually be a career. something that i could do for the rest of my life and retire.

sure dealing is fun, but i'm getting so sick of dealing with gamblers. they really are whiny, cheap, and generally assholes anyways. i've often heard that dealers burn out after a while and eventually turn to dual-rate or flooring, and i can see how that happens. only problem with that is that the casino i work at doesn't pay there floors shit, so it wouldn't be worth it at all.

have a good week everyone.

Monday, December 1, 2008

December

seriously how is it december already. that is just ridiculous. it's inane how time flies by, especially when you have a child and just watch them grow everyday, and before you know it months have passed by. i still catch myself in disbelief when i look at the kid and see how much she's grown in 16 months.

november turned out to be a positive month. up almost 8 BI, but considering where i was at in the middle of the month i really can't be too dissapointed about that i guess. i'm really looking forward to grinding this month. i'm playing well and have really started to "hyper-focus" (ss term) which has really helped my decision making and overal level of play.

i'm planning on talking another 100nl shot again. i think i'm planning to do it on my weekend (wednesday and thursday) to start off. i like having a little more time and not feeling rushed when i take a shot so if i feel like playing a little longer to get enough volume i can, since i generally only play 6-8 tables it's a little slower going which actually is very nice when shot taking because i can think about things that much more. i'm really going to focus on being aggresive. in the last shot take i played very passively in certian situations which is way no bueno. but i'm pretty sure if i play like i have been, things will work themselves out.

i don't really have any goals for this month. since at the moment my goals really can't change much from last month...hyper-focusing, can't really put in more hours because of schedule...so i will again just plan on hyper-focusing that much more.

one goal outside of poker i have though is i need to start getting sum excercise. i've become accustomed to a lifestyle without much movement, and sitting in front of the computer as a second income doesn't really help either. we just bought wii fit and i've decided i have to do it at least 3 days for 30 minuetes each time. 4 would be way better, but i'll start off w/ 3 and work up from there, so tomorrow after my session i'm starting!

have a good week everyone.

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

happy thanksgiving

hello everyone. i hope you all have a wonderful day.

so we looked at a house today that was really the first house i've actually like to this point. 3 bedrooms, 2 car garage. 2 bathrooms. really just a nice house. but (of course there's a but) the people that lived there were complete slops. the carpets are trashed, the walls are fucked, they smoked in it so it reeks (although my wife informs me that they have paint to seal out the smell) so i don't know what to think. it's right at the top of our budget also so we wouldn't really have any left over money to do any renovations/fixes, which sucks. worst part is, it's a bank repo and if we want to act on it we have to put an offer in by sunday. so i just don't know what to think.

on the poker side of things, this month has been just silly, i was down 12 BI, now i've had a decent run, and really have been playing good, an now am up a little more than 5 BI...so i'm right back where i started last month at this time. up enough to take my shot at 100nl again if i feel like. but given the time of year i'll probably have to make an extra withdraw for presents and whatnot, so we'll c. so overall it's been a pretty lame month $ wise at least.

well have a wonderful day and remember all that you have to be thankful for. days like this make me realize that even though alot of the time things are shitty or i feel bummed about things/life, there's really no need for it, because i have so much to be thankful for...the most of which my beautiful wife, our amazing daughter, and the fact that i can support the 3 of us. well have happy thanksgiving everyone.

Saturday, November 22, 2008

update

what's up all, just wanted to do a little update. this has definitely been a silly month. i don't understand why lately it seems the beginning of the month has started out super shitty and the end of the month usually makes up for it, and i get back into the positive. well this month is the exact same to this point. after being down 12 BI a week ago i now am up 1 and a 1/2 BI. pure crazy...

i'm actually playing pretty well and am starting to work on committing my money more easily (of course when i'm ahead of their logical range/etc.) i've noticed in the video i made my pessimistic attitude generally has me thinking "well i must be beat, they're raising me and i'm just beat" which is honestly a leak. i'm also trying to think in 3rd level, which i've never really done (1st level is what my hand is, 2nd level is what does villain likely have, 3rd level is what does villain think i have) and that's help me snap off a few bluffs and fold good hands when i was up against monsters...so over all i'm feeling pretty confident again about my game.

well here's the link for my video http://www.megaupload.com/?d=ZIZJAE06. it's me 6 tabling 50nl for about 50 minutes. it didn't get much love on 2+2 so meh i guess, but at least the people that commented thought it was good. i guess it's possible that it wasn't that good of a video. i didn't really talk much about strategy and just talked about the hands that were being played. so the next video i do i'll talk more about my strategy and and other things if i can remember. well have a good weekend everyone.

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

realization

well, i was laying in bed last night and i had my first "o shit wtf am i doing w/ my life moment" which in itself is funny since i'm almost 30, (but a new family tends to put new stresses on you that you've never felt before) i really just haven't been happy lately (read last months' post) and the majority of it is my current issues. but last night i realized i'm just not really happy w/ work either. as everyone knows the econemy sucks and no one is really gambling...ldo, which basically makes me take a pay cut while doing exactly the same job (WAY no good)

so last night i was thinking about things and what i'd want to do and what i enjoy, and guess what i came up with...big suprize to all that know me i bet...poker. my days off i truely enjoy my life... i wake up around 1pmish (go ez on me i work nights) kiss the wife, kiss the kid, load up all the poker software/programs, hangout and talk to the wife and play with the kid while everything is getting in order w/ waitlists and whatnot, and then play for my 1-2 hours. the rest of the day generlly is me w/ the wife and kid, playing, shopping or whatever the day entails...i know work isn't supposed to be all that fun, but why can't i enjoy my job/make good money?

i remember saying a long time ago that my 30th birthday present to myself was going to be to become a professional poker player...idk

alot of this is really just talk, i have a family to support and this is just me fantasizing, and also the fact that there are things that really aren't in my control (i.e...a new "life" bankroll, medical insurance, not to mention the current state of online poker etc,etc) so as always it's about $ (fuck i'm starting to hate $, and the almighty paper chase)

on the other hand i feel more comfortable in my game than i ever have and am playing the best i ever have. i truely am starting to "understand" the game, it's theory, and all that goes into it. i'm almost at the 100nl level (which i imagine would be the absolute min u could play for a living online) sure i have some tilt issues (who doesn't though really) that i'd need to sew up a little tighter and obviously the more volume and studying i put in the better, but i think i could really do this for one simple reason....i believe i can, and i've never failed at something that i've truely tried at (yes i know professional poker is a completely different thing than "normal")

but realistically this is just me fantasizing about my life and what i'd like it to be/do. i've got a wife and kid and am (well supposed to be at least) a grown ass man, and certian things in life just aren't realistic sometimes...but i'm truely starting to reopen this dream/ambition...

and i did the video as i said last post but i have no idea how to compress it. i've tried everything and just can't get it to work. so i think i might make another vid this week then post 'em whenever i figure out how to compress them...have a good couple days everyone.

Saturday, November 15, 2008

half way threw November

what's up everyone. so this month still is pretty lame poker wise. i was as far down as 12 BI for the month but at the moment am down a little less than 6 BI. still not a fun month but WAY better than 12 BI imo...

i had a good lesson w/ SS (i honestly didn't think it at the time) and implemented something in my game that i've already seen the dividends of it. it was an area that i never have even thought about before and just in the 3 days since the lesson i've taken way more "orphan pots" down that has padded my stack/winrate (well lack there of this month) that much more. that man truely is a poker gangsta and if anyone is reading this and is thinking about lessons i STRONGLY advice taking them from him. he truely has taken me from a dec player/moderate winner online to someone who understands his game, knows generally what people are doing and has doubled my winrate, and if it weren't for this month honestly probably tripled it...so thank you SplitSuit much appreciated.

i've finished my video and plan on posting it on 2+2, although i have a sinus infection and took some nyquil right before playing, so i don't have the clearest of heads. also i'm sucking a cough drop which makes me have a deep voice, i can't even tell it's me honestly. so i might make another one just to see if it's better but probably will post it anyways.

i actually figured out something in my personal life (evidently my wife told me this long ago and i didn't listen/pay attention: sorry boo) that has obviously been making me crazy inside (and my wife ldo) i've been way more moody and actually angry (which i never usually am, i'm so laid back it's actually kinda silly) so that has deffinately been affecting me and those around me which is never a good thing so i'm on a mission to get it handled. (WAY easier said than done)

well have a good weekend everyone.

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

November=VARIANCE

ya title really sums it up here...this month is super shitty. i'm down almost 9 BI already, and am really super frustrated. i'm getting super unlucky, that's tilting me a bit and then i get unlucky again. it's driving me crazy. i'm way pissed right now. fuck variance and everything that has to do with it. aww that feels a little better that i've vented now.

hopefully this turns around very soon, but who really knows. i've looked back and reviewed my sessions and it's really just getting unlucky. sure i've played some hands poorly, but not 9 BI worth. well i'm done with the poor me attitude (at least until tomorrow) hopefully this gets straightened out soon and all will be back to normal.

on a somewhat positive note. i'm going to do something for the first time on 2+2, i'm going to make a video and post it (hopefully this weekend), hopefully to get some feedback and also because i think i can help people understand some things and i've never done anything like this before so i thought it would be fun.

Sunday, November 9, 2008

novemeber no bueno

what's up everyone. so the start to november really hasn't been very good. although i remember not too long ago (october ldo) that a month started off super shitty and really ended up being a good month. so hopefully this will be like last month.

i just finished up with my first ever "sweat session" from 2+2 and it was really fun. i'm sure my partner thinks i'm a complete jackass, lol. i was also way chatty tonight for some reason (probably because i really don't have many people to talk poker with so when i do i actually have alot to say) i ran soooooo shitty during this session, i got inot a few spots where i misplayed a few hands and a few where the range i assigned for villian was completely off...meh it happens. we talked about opening up his game (he had very nitty stats 10/8) i understand his logic for playing nitty but i just made him realize (well tried to newayz) that if he truely wants to move up, and improve, he's going to have to open up his ranges and stats...especially if he ever wants to be payed off on anything.

well have a good few days everyone hopefully this month turns around soon...

Sunday, November 2, 2008

november goals/update

well, as well as october finsihed, november has started out just as shitty. my shot take at 100 took a complete 180, and am now down a bit after the last two days.

i've noticed i'm deffinately playing a little differntly while at 100, so i've decided just to stick with 50 for the rest of the month, with the occasional shot take at 100 if i stop playing so damn passively in certian situations. it just kinda sucks because as much confidence as i had 4 days ago it has all but dissapeared.

i generally don't make goals, but i figured i'd give it a try this month. i'm having issues w/ ranging as when i get in a hand i tend to get what i call "blinders" which is i only think 1 dimensionally and only see my hand value and not the opponents range/what they think i'm thinking etc...so my first goal is to really start to think. and i mean "hyper-focusing" (term borrowed form SS) about every decision.

i don't really make hand goals just because i generally play 2 hours a day 25-28 days a month and if i tried to bump that up the wife would probably not be happy. so i'll just stay with that and am going to try and bump up to 12 tables from 10...so that will add a little more volume.

the most important goal is deffinately out of my control, and if i do the first two goals well it will take care of itself. but i want to be comfortably rolled for 100 (for me that's at least 30 BI) but i feel if i but in volume with 12 tables and really focus and plan/think out my hands. things will fall into place. so in recap:

1.) hyper-focus on every decision/opponents ranges.
2.) add two tables and get up to 12
3.) bang into it (a term at the casino i work at which means make good $)

Friday, October 31, 2008

november already?

hey all. i was actually a big fan of october. not so much the beginning of the month but the end was very good for me. (guess that saying it's not how u start it's how u finish is right on) personally, we got approved for the house, the kid finally looks like she's gunna get her ear issues fixed, and the wife has some promising job leads. so all in all october was a good month.

the shot take at 100 has gone good so far. i deffinately feel like i'm out of my element a little just because i'm looking down at the screen and seeing $100 there instead of $50, so that's gunna take a little getting used to. but i've actually done pretty well, i've run pretty decent and am winning 9bb/100 at the moment (only for 1500 hands, and i don't know if this is ptbb or just bb, i'm still a little confused on the issue) i'm playing pretty well and except for the occasional spot were i'm nitty mcnitterson, i've been doing ok.

i had a great convo w/ SS last night on aim and holy shit did something click in my brain about the way i play draws...i've been playing them so passsively and not taking advantage of my fold equity and that's really putting pressure on me, because i'm generally check calling w/ draws and that is just not helping me, because playing them like that is basically a spew since i rarely get payed off when i hit anyways.

happy halloween everyone, i'm off to my parents before work for the annual halloween party. have a great and safe night.

and this hand is dedicated to you split suit, without our talk last night i never play it like this and i never win it. (i know it's not a big win, but this is $ that i never would have won before if it's weren't for you and our talk)

Full Tilt Poker, $0.50/$1 NL Hold'em Cash Game, 7 Players
MP: $70
CO: $47.50
BTN: $60.55
SB: $28.50
Hero (BB): $103.50
UTG: $52.40
UTG+1: $107.35
Pre-Flop:
7:club: A:club: dealt to Hero (BB)
4 folds,
BTN calls $1,
SB folds,
Hero checks
Flop:($2.50) J:spade: J:club: 5:club: (2 Players)
Hero bets $2 , BTN raises to $9 , Hero raises to $34, BTN folds
Results: $20.50 Pot ($1 Rake) Hero mucked 7:club: A:club: and WON $19.50

Thursday, October 30, 2008

big day tomorrow

sup everyone, just got done watching the latest episode of SOA on the dvr, and thought i'd do a little post. this post at least will be filled with good news. which is always a plus.

so we found out today that we got approved for a house. which is really awsome and i'm super stoked, but (there's always a but isn't there) we didn't get the amount we were hoping for, and with the area we live in (honestly probably the worst ever: home value wise) we're really not going to find a house for that price. which sucks but what do you do, maybe we'll get lucky and prices will miraciously fall and we'll be able to find something...lol.

had weigh in today and i lost 3.4 lbs. which makes my total 17.4 lbs. in a month. funny thing is, i didn't even follow the diet at all this week, i was good and had fruits and veggies and good food at home, but when i was at work (we have a break room w/ free food) i ate horribly, so really it should've been way more, which is a good sign and got me refocused about the upcoming week.

on a poker note: things have been going pretty well. i've been playing well, and have a confidence in my game right now that i can honestly say i've never had before. i had a lesson today (w/ SS) and we talked about getting value and value bets which i've noticed is costing me some $. and if i notice it it probably is a very big deal...so hopefully i'll get this sowed up and my win rate will show for it. and tomorrow is a bid day...i''m taking my first shot at 100nl. i've been playing really well lately and have 20 BI for the level so i figure now is as good a time as any. hopefully i run good, but i'll settle for just playing well and see what that brings. well have a good night everyone.

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

just loungin

decided to take a day off from poker today and just relax and chill. took the kids (mine and my sisters) out to the pumpkin patch today and that was really fun, kids innocence is really refreshing. it's always good to hang w/ sum peeps that don't have a care in the world. makes all of lifes problems seem a little less important.

on a fun note the wife and i started to seriously look at houses today, i think we found one that has great potential. big back yard for the kid, hey maybe even a dog, four bedrooms so i could have that "poker office" i've always wanted, and pretty spacious. keep your fingers crossed for us that all the financial crap goes threw now.

poker has been going pretty well, had a few bad sessions, but the last few days has recouped it (i see a pattern here always seems i have a couple of shatty sessions and then one good one to recoup it all and then sum) which probably means i have sum leaks i need to plug up. my winrate deffinately isn't as high as i want it or like it, although i realized today that if i wouldn't have made sum w/d and the cost for lessons i would be very comfortably rolled for 100nl, so that lifted my spirits today as i was thinking about that today.

so i'm thinking next week i'm going to take a few shots after my lesson on wednesday and if things go ok and my bankroll gets to at least 20 BI for that level, which i'm almost there but a little extra cushion is always good. i was informed by my wife of all people today that i'm a bankroll nit which i thought was pretty funny, but she's probably right...

well have a good few days everyone.

Friday, October 17, 2008

mondays suck

lol, i think the titlle sums it up in a nutshell. man i'm not a fan of work. not to mention my day started off super shitty, and it's never good to be in a bad mood at work when you're in the customer service industry...

poker has been going pretty shatty lately, i'm still up on the month, but i've had just some sick beats, which is gunna happen, just sucks that they always happen a bunch at a time. o well, hopefully things turn around quickly. here's a hand that really sums up the last 3 days...

Full Tilt, $0.25/$0.50 NL Hold'em Cash Game, 4 PlayersHand History Converter by Stoxpoker

SB: $49.50 (99 bb)
BB: $20 (40 bb)
Hero (CO): $52.10 (104.2 bb)
BTN: $18.25 (36.5 bb)

Pre-Flop: Hero is CO with 9 9
Hero raises to $1.50,
BTN folds,
SB calls $1.25,
BB calls $1

Flop: ($4.50) 2 A 3 (3 players)
SB checks,
BB checks,
Hero checks

Turn: ($4.50) 9 (3 players)
SB bets $3,
BB calls $3,
Hero raises to $13.50,
SB raises to $27, BB folds,
Hero raises to $50.60 and is all-in,
SB calls $21 and is all-in

River: ($103.50) 2 (2 players, 2 are all-in)

Results: Results: $103.50 pot ($2 rake)
Hero showed 9 9 (a full house, Nines full of Twos) and lost (-$49.50 net)
SB showed 2 2 (four of a kind, Twos) and won $101.50 ($52 net)

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

I Love Fridays

hey everybody, i love fridays. tuesdays are my friday and i'm a real big fan of them. life just seems funner on fridays doesn't it. i'm really starting to despise work (just working in general not my actual job) and i really would love to be able to play for a living, but realistically that won't happen because of health insurance and financial responsibilites of a family, and having a daughter, but i wouldn't change anything.

the wife and kid got back on sunday and it's really nice to have them back. the kid has changed so much in just 12 days it's ridiculous. she's saying new words, she even holds up her finger and shows you she's 1 when you ask her how old she is...being a dad and watching her grow is truely unbelievable and crazy at the same time.

on the poker side nothing really new, today's session wasn't that good but i was only down 25 BB, and that's after i made a horrendous call, when i said to myslef, he flopped a set and slow played all the way until now.... i'm thinking i'm going to branch out this week and try to bump up the tables to 10. i've been playing good lately and would like some more volume so i can see some more results (yes i know i'm not supposed to be results oriented but i love/hate $ damnit)and i really want to start taking shots at 100...

well have a good few days everyone.

Saturday, October 11, 2008

finally in the positive for october

after a very crappy start to the month things have finally turned around a bit and i'm back in the positive for october. the first 8 days of october deffinately weren't fun to go threw, but we all have to deal with variances' ugly face sooner or later right...

the last three sessions i've played have deffinately made up for the beginning of the month, which is always nice. i've had alot of time to study and read (geez i never do that) since the wife and kid have been gone. (they come back on sunday night and i can't wait to see them when i get home from work on monday morning!) it's been nice studying a little more and hopefully when things get back to normal i'll still have at least an hour or so a night to read and look over hands/ forums and whatnot.

WW went pretty well this week,(only lost 5), which the lady said is very good and abnormal, but after losing 10lbs. in your first week it just seems like that's how it should always be...

well time to do a little more studying. have a good weekend everyone.

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

lazy day

hey all, i just got home from work early and thought i'd do a little updating.

i had a very good session on monday that basically recouped my loses from the previous three days, which is always nice. not to mention i learned a little about myself (and what puts me on tilt) when i was dealing with the adversity of variance which can only benefit me i think.

it was also a little tougher dealing with it this time though because usually when i have a bad session or week my wife and kid are hear to remind me that really poker isn't that important even though i make it. but a kiss and a hug from each of them and i'm usually calm, but since they weren't here it was a little harder than usual...

today was pretty uneventful because i decided to sleep a little longer than normal and take a day off from playing cards. just so i could relax and catch up on some sleep, because i'm planning on trying and putting in some marathon sessions this last week the wife and kid are gone. so i allowed myself one day of being lazy and i'll be back to it tomorrow.

Saturday, October 4, 2008

variance sucks

just finished my session for the day, and it has sucked the last 3 days...so far i'm not a big fan of october. started out good but the last 3 days have killed me. lost a buyin to set over set (me little one of course) AA vs. KK aipf (me KK) october has really been kinda shitty so far. but hopefully this doesn't last that long because i've realized that i hate losing with a passion (which is funny that i love poker since you generally lose no matter what some sessions)

lesson went well yesterday (w/ SS) it was a little rushed because my HH where i was a donkey took a little time to explain but i got alot of very useful information out of it that should deffinately help me w/ that aspect (if this variance ever stops). i was planning on taking some shot at 100 this month but it doesn't look like that's going to happen w/ this latest downswing but o well. i'm sure i can use some more time at 50 anyways.

well i'm going to have my delicious lunch of soup, milk, bread and melba rounds (started weight watchers last week lost 10 lbs. go me...) and get ready for work. have a good night everyone.
and boo if you read this which i know you will. i love you & kiss the kid for me.

Friday, October 3, 2008

bored

so the next two weeks i'll probably be updating this alot more than normal. my wife and kid are out of town visiting her best friend in texas. (i miss her and look forward to her coming home) it's a wierd feeling not having anybody in the house at all and no noise when you're used to someone generally always being home.

i played about 1800 hands today (generally only play about 700-900) and was down 80BB, which isn't horrible considering i called of my stack in one pot that i knew i was crushed in, so not counting that momentary lapse in thinking i was actually up a little on the day so meh i guess...i generally play 8 tables, but since i just bought myself another monitor i'd like to bump that up to 10-12 pretty soon, but i'm pretty comfortable right now and getting used to the set up so we'll c how that goes.

i have a lesson scheduled for tomorrow (w/ SplitSuit) which i'm looking forward to. we're going over a section of my game that i know needs DRASTIC improvement as we talked about it a little in our last lesson and the last week i've noticed situations come up and i'm really just playing them blind/clueless which is never a good thing to do in poker.

so today starts another week at work, meh, y does it seem that the weekend always goes way too quick? o ya forgot: i'm a dealer in a casino. deal all games, blackjack, roulette, craps, poker (even though we don't have a poker room) so i'm a nightowl. friday-tuesday, wednesday and thursday off.

well i'm gunna relax for a bit and play a little xbox 360, then go to bed, have a good day everyone.

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

1st post

hello all, my name is Matt, for my first post i'll just tell you a little about myself. i am a pretty normal family man, i have a wife and a beautiful 14 month old daughter. they both are amazing, and the reason i've started to take poker so seriously lately (extra money is always good right).

i've been playing poker for about 5 years, the beginning of my poker path i playe live for the first 3 1/2 years. i was a succesful player at 3/5nl and 1/2nl live. as soon as the family started to devolope i realized i wasn't going to be able to spend 4-6 nights a week, away from home anymore and needed to change something. i love poker so much that i just couldn't see stop playing (again the $ thing) so i decided to transfer to online play. i've been playing online since January 08, and it's deffinately been a learning experience. i figured i'd just breeze into online and it'd be no differnt than live...Wrong!

it was almost like a differnet world when i switched. but with the help of coaching and putting hands in and really thinking things threw i've really started to transform my game lately and am playing so much better than i ever thought possible. i've obviously come to the online poker community late but i'm looking to make up for sum lost time.

my goal with this blog is to make sum new poker friends, (again came to the online community late) have a place to vent and just let those, who are interested, know what's going on with me and my family. i've never really had a blog before so i don't really know what to excpect. just planning on letting my thoughts take me where i go. hopefully i will be able to keep up with it, but the life of a father and husband tend to be a little on the busy side...but i'm sure i'll make time.

mpmpjuicem on 2+2
aim: pm me and i'll give it out
mainly playing 50nl on FTP at the moment