If only it were that easy...

Dropped 3 BI tonight. Worst session I’ve had in recent times. Sometimes I feel like I am playing good poker, making the right moves and then other times I feel like I am completely lost and begin second guessing myself. I am re-watching From The Ground Up to try and nail down some basics and I have realised that there are so many things that I should have down by now but don’t.

I know that there shouldn’t be an expectation to watch a series once and remember everything, but even if I take notes I’m finding it really hard to learn, or rather retain what I have learned just like in high school. When I hear it, watch it, or read it, it makes sense at the time. I take notes and I get the mindset that the next time I sit down for a session I will implement the things I have learned. Then in the heat of the moment I forget all the things I learned and said I would implement and return to playing the poker I learned in the beginning which is more gambling than making +EV decisions.

I don’t seriously believe I have any learning problem, but I sure do wonder why it makes it so hard to learn things and remember them for later. It makes is so f***ing frustrating as it feels I’m investing all this time and $$$ into learning this game that I love, only to be back at square one. I’m just hoping that something will just click, and I know I have a lot more work ahead of me, I’m just tired of being a break-even player who feels like he is just going round and round in circles.

/rant

See you at the tables…

Just finished recording the video review with tubasteve. Was really happy with the way it went, although I must admit I was nervous and thinking back on some of the stuff I said, it’s a little cringe-worthy. I kinda wish I could have answered some of the questions better and to ask more myself, but I still learned a lot and hope others who watch it get something out of it too.

I realise it’s gonna be a while before I move up. I need to play more hands and make more money (quite easy when you put it like that :) so I just wanna continue reviewing my play, posting hands and discussing situations with people. I do sometimes feel a little embarrassed as I haven’t come to terms with some of the more basic concepts and when I talk to some others about stuff, I feel a little outta my depth. I try and study by reading and watching as much as I can, but not all of it clicks at once and so repetition is the key I guess.

Anyways, gonna keep working at it. GL everyone!

So I’ve been pretty busy trying to balance work with play at the moment. Really hectic, but kinda worth it.

Man I have some jumpy sessions. It’s amazing how often I will play a great session of just picking spots and building up slowly, only to stack off with a cooler (or with just a terrible play). I’m re-watching WoT’s math series, as I never really felt like I took a lot in the first time around. Math has always been my weakest subject (both off and on the tables) and so I think it’s something I really wanna nail down.

Also, to break it up a little bit, I started watching the Hellomaha series, since I’ve never really played much Omaha and would like to mix up my game a bit. I know I really need to focus on my NLH fundamentals, but I figured trying a different game might help too. So if any of you think I’m a fish with 2 cards, wait until I get 4! :)

In all seriousness though, I am really trying hard to work on my game and move up, so GL and I’ll see y’all at the tables.

So I upgraded my computer and I now have a 24" monitor. Joy. Except I was dumb enough to get a widescreen, so it doesn’t completely fit 4 tables comfortably, however with a slight adjustment it works just fine. Not that I am comfortable 4-tabling yet.

I’m actually on a lil downswing at the moment. Well I would call it a downswing if I was getting my money in good, with well thought out decisions, and getting sucked out on. But to be honest with myself, I’m just making bad plays, spewing chips in marginal situations and forgetting everything I’ve learnt from studying videos. I think I have an innate degen gambling bug that makes me call when I know I shouldn’t. I also have too big an ego to fold when I think I might be behind. It’s okay though, I know I am making these mistakes and I know with some practice, I can fix it.

TBH the more the more time I spend studying and learning the game, the more I feel I am second guessing myself and my play. It’s a strange feeling. I would have thought that with more studying and more practice, my decision making should be easier, but instead I’m thinking WAY more like “can I bet here for thin value?”, or “what kind of hand does villain think, that I think he has?”. Probably a bit of overkill for the micros and probably not the best way to approach things, but I am positive that if I stick through this and continue to dedicate time to the game, it will pay off.

Looking forward to my coaching lesson from winning the DCU competition too. I have leaks that need plugging for sure. Anyways, see you at the tables!

Ben

Seems like every blog I write is all about how hard it is to put in volume with a f/t job, blah blah blah. But with the IStacksMore group putting up the 50k in 2 months challenge (hands not $$$ :)) I’ve been inspired. I’ve worked out that with my schedule and inability to comfortably 4-table, 50k in 2 months would not be achievable. That said, I’m gonna use the challenge as a guide to keep me focused and driven to put in the volume.

In other news:

IPoker Network $10.00 No Limit Hold’em – 6 players
The Official DeucesCracked.com Hand History Converter

UTG: $2.00
MP: $15.19
CO: $1.50
Hero (BTN): $14.96
SB: $2.22
BB: $12.18

Pre Flop: ($0.15) Hero is BTN with J A
1 fold, MP raises to $0.30, 1 fold, Hero raises to $1.05, 2 folds, MP calls $0.75

Flop: ($2.25) J A K (2 players)
MP bets $1.12, Hero raises to $4, MP calls $2.88

Turn: ($10.25) T (2 players)
MP bets $10.14, Hero calls $9.91 all in

River: ($30.07) J (2 players – 1 is all in)

Final Pot: $30.07
MP shows A Q
MP wins $0.23
Hero wins $28.07
(Rake: $1.77)

Bahahaha pretty sick. The EV Diff crashed harder that the recent stock market after this hand. Rightly so of course, but yeah. No excuse for this hand or call. A Q is soooo in this guy’s range, but I just couldn’t help myself. Even after a hand like this, break-even session. You can see why. Leaks a plenty.

Also, loving the DC University at the moment. This, with the Road To Robusto series has been really helpful and beneficial for my game (ignoring the hand above please).

Well I’m done for the night. Gonna get an early night in, so I can get up early and grind some before work. Laters!

I haven’t had a chance to blog about how (based on some advice) that since I have a f/t job, I should just load up my bankroll and play at 10nl. I’d been playing so well; just solidly well, until tonight. I came home from a night out with friends, drinks were involved, and I dropped 3 buy ins tonight, f*ing stoopid of me to play in this state in the first place. I told myself not to play tonight, but I couldn’t help myself. Uggghh.

IPoker Network $10.00 No Limit Hold’em – 5 players
The Official DeucesCracked.com Hand History Converter

CO: $10.72
BTN: $26.53
Hero (SB): $10.00
BB: $23.50
UTG: $7.52

Pre Flop: ($0.15) Hero is SB with Q A
3 folds, Hero raises to $0.30, BB calls $0.20

Flop: ($0.60) 6 T 8 (2 players)
Hero bets $0.40, BB calls $0.40

Turn: ($1.40) Q (2 players)
Hero bets $1.40, BB calls $1.40

River: ($4.20) 7 (2 players)
Hero bets $7.90, BB calls $7.90

Final Pot: $20.00
BB shows A 9
BB wins $18.67
(Rake: $1.33)

I know I should have done something better with this hand but ahhhhh, I mean WTF is with my river shover??? F*ing disgusting. Why would I put so much effort in, only to come home, play drunk and undo all the good that I had done. 3 hands like this and all my hard work gone, cause I’m an idiot. FML. I need to learn from this and come back from it. Idiot.

Man, dropped 4BI tonight. It’s laughable because of the stakes, but still, far out man. I wrote this morning about getting sucked out on and how it was okay cause I was getting my money in good, but these two happened tonight and it really hurt:

Everest Poker $2.00 No Limit Hold’em – 6 players
The Official DeucesCracked.com Hand History Converter

Hero (BTN): $1.97
SB: $2.01
BB: $0.40
UTG: $3.01
MP: $0.40
CO: $2.80

Pre Flop: ($0.03) Hero is BTN with A K
UTG calls $0.02, MP calls $0.02, CO raises to $0.04, Hero raises to $0.20, 2 folds, UTG calls $0.18, 1 fold, CO calls $0.16

Flop: ($0.65) K 7 6 (3 players)
UTG checks, CO bets $0.02, Hero raises to $0.55, UTG calls $0.55, CO folds

Turn: ($1.77) K (2 players)
UTG checks, Hero bets $1.22, UTG raises to $2.26

River: ($4.21) 8 (2 players)

Final Pot: $4.21
Hero shows A K
UTG shows 8 K
UTG wins $3.93
(Rake: $0.28)

And this:

Everest Poker $2.00 No Limit Hold’em – 4 players
The Official DeucesCracked.com Hand History Converter

CO: $1.99
BTN: $0.50
SB: $1.89
Hero (BB): $2.27

Pre Flop: ($0.03) Hero is BB with A K
2 folds, SB calls $0.01, Hero raises to $0.08, SB calls $0.06

Flop: ($0.16) 7 K T (2 players)
SB bets $0.16, Hero raises to $0.64, SB calls $0.48

Turn: ($1.44) J (2 players)
SB bets $0.05, Hero raises to $1.55, SB calls $1.12 all in

River: ($3.78) 8 (2 players – 1 is all in)

Final Pot: $3.78
SB shows 8 K
Hero shows A K
SB wins $3.54
(Rake: $0.24)

I know these are standard, and if I ever get to move up, the amounts will be higher, but still I needed to vent and at least it’s in the blog and not a thread. I’m always the first to say “no one really cares about your bad beat”. Tonight, I’m a hypocrite and I don’t care.

Gonna take a break tonight. Listen to some 8Fold to chill the fuck out.

Decided to get up early and play a few hands before work this morning. Although it was a losing session, I actually feel good about it (well as good as you can from a losing session). I really did get my money in good and got sucked out on a few times. Although tilting at the time, I think it shows that my game is improving. I’m thinking more, I think my bet sizes are getting better. Long long long way to go, but I reckon it’s going to be worth it.

Wow, here I was sitting at work today thinking about coming home and putting a serious session in and how many hands do I get in? 244. 244!!! It’d be a lot easier to get more hands in if I tabled more than 2 at a time, but I’m just not at that stage yet.

Putting in serious volume with a full time job is hard. I’m trying to find a good balance of work, poker study, poker playing, time with the GF, but man there is just not enough hours in the day. It doesn’t help that I stare at a computer at work all day either. Makes it harder to put in a few more hours at home, but I’m still gonna try and keep at it.

After starting out playing SNGs and MTTs, I’ve decided to take a break and focus mainly on 6-max cash. Since DC has a lot of vids covering this it seemes to make sense :)

I am really enjoying it so far. More action and playing with deeper stacks is not something i’m used to (since my bankroll doesn’t allow deep stack tournaments). Once I feel a bit more confident, I want to start posting hands and discussing them on the forums. I just don’t know what kinds of hands to post and I certainly don’t want to post hands where the main response is “so standard”. Oh well, gotta start somewhere. It’s only 2nl for now, but that will hopefully change as I put in more volume. I find HEM really useful, at least for the HUD display. I’m sure I will get more use out of it once I figure out what all the other stats are for lol.

Anyways…