Mission To Malta

So I started to play poker again. I really needed a break from the game in order to regain some of the energy that was required to reach my 2009 goal. The first session this year felt kinda weird. I didn’t really feel A-game-ish, made some stupid plays based on my “I Has Two Cards” thought process and overall felt like I need some time to really get my head back into this beatiful game.

That’s the point. I LOVE POKER!!! However I had learned to hate it in the past two months and especially in december. 90K hands in one month six-tabling was just a little bit too much for me, but in the end I don’t regret a single one of these hands. I’ll be paying significantly less rake this year on average. Well, I hope I’ll pay more rake absolutely (because I’ll play more hands) but relatively it’s gonna be less. This is huge for a player who beats the rake as it is.

I’ll be playing the majority of my sessions six-tabling still, however they’re gonna be shorter sessions and I’ll throw in four-tabling sessions regularly to REALLY focus on ranges and creativity. I can do that somewhat while playing six tables, but obviously i’m better at it the less tables I play.

My goal for this year (apart from january) is gonna be 60K hands per month while constantly improving my understanding of and working on:

1. Ranges!
2. Ranges!
3. Ranges!
4. Mental Stability (AKA Tiltlessness)
5. Mental Stability (AKA Tiltlessness)
6. Mental Stability (AKA Tiltlessness)
7. Math and Probability
8. Game Theory

I’m really looking forward to 2010. This is gonna be the year in which I’ll get my ass out of 100NL, which I’m really only still playing because I had never put in enough volume and had to withdraw too much. By the end of the year I want to be playing midstakes regularly, not having to worry or feel shitty after 10 buy in losing days because I’m not gonna be scared money in these games. Right now 100NL is the highest limit where this is the case for me.

Here’s a hand in which I take a non “standard” line against a splashy player who I knew (thanks to PTR) was mainly a midstakes HU player who seemed to play 100NL to splash around and “PWN Some N00bs”

Poker Stars $0.50/$1 No Limit Hold’em – 6 players
The Official DeucesCracked.com Hand History Converter

UTG: $99.45
MP: $100.00
CO: $100.00
BTN: $138.05
Hero (SB): $108.35
BB: $116.25

Pre Flop: ($1.50) Hero is SB with A 7
3 folds, BTN raises to $3, Hero calls $2.50, 1 fold

Flop: ($7.00) 8 Q A (2 players)
Hero checks, BTN bets $5, Hero raises to $16.50, BTN raises to $36, Hero calls $19.50

Turn: ($79.00) 5 (2 players)
Hero checks, BTN checks

River: ($79.00) Q (2 players)
Hero checks, BTN checks

Final Pot: $79.00
BTN mucks T 6
Hero shows A 7 (two pair, Aces and Queens)
Hero wins $76.00
(Rake: $3.00)

In his mind I’m a somewhat LAGgy unknown 100NL “N00b”, who’s trying to get him of of his wide (prbably ATC) BTN opening range. His thought process is “He’s repping AQ, which he 3bets pre at least a non zero % of the time and 88 – LOLZ 3bet”

I call the 3bet to get him to spazz out even more on later streets. Unfortunately we weren’t deeper though because I guess that would have made it more likely for him to try and barrel me. I thought of betting something like $12 on the river, but in the end I don’t think that there is any way for me to get his whole stack, so whatever. I was quite happy with how I played the hand.

Before any of you guys comment and tell me that it’s unnessecary to do FPSsy shit like that. I know, that it isn’t nessecary. However, I make a living playing this game and the day I play a robotical “Standard” game is the day I should go work in a factory.

I need my OCCASIONAL FPS to sustain my love for this game. Hands like these, whether they work out or not, make me feel alive while sitting here alone in my appartement day in and day out. And believe me, not all of these hands work out. I get stacked viciously sometimes, but I’m beginning to love getting stacked aswell.

Life Is Good!

Until next time,

Sugar Nut

It’s been a long december and there’s reason to believe
Maybe this year will be better than the last.

The Counting Crows: “A Long December”