I think I have finally rounded the corner. I went thru a phase where I just didn't feel like posting. Not because I haven't been winning (actually have had my 3 biggest wins of my life during this stretch), but just haven't been in the mood to write. Then, when I was in the mood, I just felt overwhelmed by having not posted in so long, that when I did get in the mood, I felt there was just too much to have to update, so I didn't. But I think that I have turned the corner and while they may not always be long and hugely drawn out posts, I will now regularly update. I know you all have heard that before, but it no longer feels like a 'chore' that it sometimes did. I am anxious to update now. That being said, I am going to just highlight (in bullet form) the last month or so. Sooooooo, w/o further adieu:
***Went to Albuquerque. Met up with some great people (Reuben, Lee, Mike 'n Mike). Won over $2k in 2 days. Day one, bought in for $300 and cashed out $100 short of a rack of green (rack of green chips = $2500). I guess that equates to "crushing" the game, no?
***Continued to beat my regular $1/$2 PLHE game like a drum. Routinely taking $300-$1000 off the table a night.
*** Have played in the local $5/$10 NLHE game and have found myself up fairly big both times and both times have lost most of it with the 2nd nut flush. Lesson learned here.
***Made another trip to Albuquerque and though I lost on the trip ($400), felt I played great. Did have my highest finish ever in a MTT though...179 entries ($35+$5), I took 4th place. Final table paid, so I tried to get aggressive near the bubble and found myself on the dominated side both times against short stacks: A8s vs ATo and K8s vs KTo. Both times, I rivered a straight to bust them out. Then, at the final table, I went to it with the 2nd biggest stack (@15% of the chips in play) while the leader had @40-50% of the chips in play). Busted a guy when my 55 hit a straight on the turn vs an unimproved AQo. Then went card dead and busted out in 4th. Not too bad for a non-tourney player though, imo. Paid $421...tipped the dealers the $21 and was a little disappointed...1st paid $1800. Won by one of the dealer's there, Benny. Good guy...he played great too. Good for him!
***Came back from said trip and finally got "serious" about online poker. Signed up thru a buddy with Full Tilt and have loved it. Also was able to land Poker Academy Pro 2 for free thru a sign-up "gift" on Bodog. Love that program. And love both of those sites. Bodog is incredibly soft and Full Tilt is not the rock garden many say it is. Deposited $600 in each and built it up to almost $3k mostly by multi-tabling 10/20 or 3/6NL on Bodog. Then took a shot at 15/30 and one at 20/40. Oops. There went that $3k. During that stretch, I did take $800 off of David Williams at a 3/6 NL table on Bodog and took $600 off of Richard Brodie at a 15/30 game on Full Tilt. My two brushes with celebrities. Richard Brodie is the guy who wrote Microsoft Word. More money than God. Asked him how a guy with his $$$ can play 15/30 and take it seriously. He said it's easy...he hates to lose and doesn't have the "stress" of worrying about losing some money, so he can play and not sweat the money. Made sense, I guess, just that I think it would be hard to play it straight up...kinda like me trying my best at a 2/4 table...notsomuch.
Anyway, made a promise to myself that I would not play any higher than 10/20 until my BR could afford a "shot" at the higher tables. I thought I played well, possibly a little too aggressively, but ran into a guy, heads-up, who ate my lunch. He outplayed me and was catching cards like a madman. Methinks I will stay away from HU play and higher limits than I can afford...not a smart combination. Glad it only cost me, in essence, $1200 for that lesson. Foolish, maybe, but a good lesson none-the-less.
***During the above losses, I took a 1/2 day at work last Friday (Oct 28) and played in the local tourney...$60 with a $20 rebuy and a $20 add-on. I never rebought, but did do the add-on, and wouldn't ya know that this non-tourney playing fool won the damn thing!?! $875 and my first ever MTT win :-) That felt GREAT! My last two tourneys then were a 4th place and a win...luck? Probably, but still, not a bad little run.
So that brings us up to this past weekend. The Skirt was out of town so it was going to be a poker-filled weekend (like it's not normally?) Anyhow, Friday was non-descript, though I couldn't play in the tourney to defend my title as I had to work the whole shift.
I then played on Saturday in the 5/10 NLHE game knowing that every time I had played in it previously, I had gotten up a considerable amount and pissed it away on a foolish trap hand. I was determined to not do that this time.
So I go and buy in for $300. I took a friend's advice (rapidfireweasel) and had plenty in my pocket to make sure that I could withstand any swings and started at @ 230 pm. I was determined to play my absolute best and if I did, be happy with the results, whether they were good or bad. The table is a beautiful mix of very loose and some very bad players, although my nemesis, Alex, is there. He is your prototype LAG, but a very very good one. He can read hands very well and release ones that are losers. Very tough to play against.
So, after folding most of my hands, I look down to find two black J's in the BB. The table has some REAL loose players, so I was hoping one of them would raise and I could push my remaining $200. One of them in LP did raise to $40 and I pushed, trying to take down the $100 pot there and feeling confident that if the raiser called, I was ahead anyway. It folded around to him and he called. He flips over KK and I rebought for $300 more.
There were 3 hands that really stand out as hands that I felt I played really well and/or had a big impact on my day:
An orbit around the table after the above hand, I have $300 and I decide to straddle the BB for $20. The following should let you know the kind of soft game this is...it is 10-handed and all but one person called the straddle. I look down to find A5o and check my option to raise. Flop comes A33r. The blinds check and I check. It checks around. So we go to the turn with $180 in the pot and 9 players still in it. Turn brings an Ace. I now am ahead of everything buy 33. The blinds check and I check, knowing that I will get a bet from someone eventually. It checks around. River brings a blank with 9 people still in it and still $180 in the pot. The blinds check and I check as well, convinced that someone will make a stab at the pot and at worst, I'll split and take my $90. Checked around to Alex who bets the pot. BINGO! But what is even better, the player to my left, Kempy (read previous posts about him) calls. I push my $300 or so and they both fold. Muy Bueno. I was quite pleased about the play and my read knowing someone would try and steal that pot. I felt that I wasn't really risking much by checking it, but could win a bunch if someone did try to steal at it.
The next hand happened about an hour after that...
I am on the button with A8d. 3 callers and a raise to $35 from the worst player at the table. I call as do the other 3 callers. $175 and 5 players to the flop of A74 with 2 diamonds. That is about the best flop I could have seen for my hand. It's checked to the original raiser who bets out $50. Me and Alex (EP) call. Turn brings a gorgeous Kd. Alex checks and the same player now bets out $125. I smooth call, hoping Alex will come on in. He does. River brings a brick: 5s. They both now check and I give the impression that I am confused. I think that Alex has a flush, but a weak one and no clue what the other guy has...he could have been betting and raising with anything from KK to air. Who knows. I just want to bet enough that I can get a caller here. There is @$700 in the pot...I have about $800 in front of me...I fire out $200. To my shock and glee, they
BOTH call. I turn over the nuts and Alex mucks. The other guy shows me his KK for a set and mucks. Niiiiiiice. Alex tells me he had 2nd nuts. See, I learn :)
I say I learn then this hand comes up nearly 3 2 hours later. I'm in the CO with 9Td. 3 callers, again, and the same maniac raises to $35. I call as does the button and 2 others. Flop comes AJ6 with A and J being diamonds. It's checked to the maniac who checks, but says to the table that next card, he is betting his whole $500. He is known to bet that much in the dark (love this game), so we all believe him and hence, no one opens up the betting on the flop to give him a chance to do so now. Turn brings the Kd yet again. So I now have the 2nd nut flush. It's checked to the maniac who is good to his word and pushes the $500. Kempy folds and I gotta call. Folded around and maniac says "there's the flush", to which I respond, "Yes, sir". "Well, I have 4 outs I guess" and tables A6o for two pair. A brick on the river and MHIG. He then leaves. Bummer...>:)
I left shortly there after up nearly $2,000. That was my single biggest day to date. And I am chomping at the bit to go back. Me thinks that I will become a regular in that game now...3 times I have been up big ($1000) and 2 times I pissed it away. I think I have learned how NOT to do that now. One can hope anyway....
Yesterday, I had a $7,000 freeroll tournament on Full Tilt due to being one of the Top 1,500 point earners during the month of October...I only played the final week of October...nice. First place was $1400 and the Top 3 places paid something worth it...the rest, down to the final paid spot was meh, $14.
I got seated at a table in which I was the only person there. The rest were on "auto-fold". Well, isn't that nice...I was able to raise every hand and take it down for the first 4 levels and built my stack up to the tourney leader of T14,000. Then once I busted out most of the auto-folders, 4 of the top 9 others in chip counts got moved to my table. Figures, eh? We battled it out for awhile and when we got down to 90 of the 500 in it, I got moved to a new table. I started getting uber-aggressive near the button as everyone tightened up...why they tightened up I know not, as 81st place paid that whopping $14. I was able to steal some pots and then went all-in once we made the money and was outdrawn on the river to be put out in 70th place and got paid $15.40. I know, I know...slow down there Felix...I know.
So here we are, sick as a dog, laid up in a blanket, finally updating this damn thing. I made back most of what I lost this past couple of weeks. Funny, here I was bummed that I had hit a high-mark for my bankroll, 2 months ahead of schedule, and have pissed too much of it away trying to hit-n-run games too high for me, but I still have eclipsed the $$$ mark that was my goal come Christmas. Still, nothing higher than 10/20 online for awhile...promise.
Oh, one last thing...I have a trip lined up to go down to Phoenix and play in what is to become my "home", Casino Arizona, with 2 fellow poker professional friends of mine. I can not wait. This should be a blast of a trip. Dan, Mike, and Felix...game on!
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