Trials and Tribulations of an aspiring poker player

Been a while!

2007-04-17T12:21:00.000-07:00

Well, it's been some time since I posted. I had withdrawn all of my funds thinking I might lose them since Neteller wasn't gonna be an option anymore. I'm now back playing again...kinda trying to take it slow for a bit.

There's nothing really noteworthy as of yet...I've only been back in the game for a few days, so far I'm about even. I'll write something more exciting in a few days :)

A new milestone

2007-01-15T16:45:00.000-08:00

If you've read my other posts you know that my goal is to win a $10 180 man SnG...until today I've only managed to finish no higher than 8th place. I started one today and almost made it to the money...no such luck though. My second one I struggled to just stay at average chip stack or below pretty much the first two hours...the cards were just not coming. After much patience I was dealt some playable hands (as per the opening hands chart that Scott provided for our experiment.) Things took a turn for the better. By the time we had 18 players left I was sitting at 32,000 in chips...the most I've ever had at this point of the game. I took a HUGE hit on pocket K's against pocket A's...we were both all in pre-flop. I made it to the final table with around 12,000 in chips...struggling to say the least.

With the blinds as big as they were and my stack so small I decided that the hands chart had to be set aside. I placed some well timed raises preflop and bought several pots....eventually I was up to 42,000 and feeling pretty good. With 4 of us left my fellow short stack raised preflop...I had JJ and went all in against his A6off. Well, he got his ace and it was all over for me...a 4th place finish...the best I've done so far. The winnings from that tourney combined with some other losses leaves my bankroll at $397.00 - oh my.

I keep thinking I'm gonna hit a wall here...some days my losses seem huge...then I make it up plus some the next day. I have to say...now that I'm kinda taking this seriously it's a little stressful...lol.

no witty title today

2007-01-13T20:10:00.000-08:00

I transferred 25.00 to my hubby's account today so he could play a few tourneys. I played another 180 man SnG today...finished 8th again...anything past 8th on those seems so elusive...lol.

Last post 332.28 >>> Today 328.58 plus the 25.00 that I gave to hubby (which is now gone, btw), >>> technically I'm up 21.30 for the day and 253.58 for the week...but, the 25 i gave hubby will not be returned so actually down a few dollars...sigh.

You can lead a horse to the river....

2007-01-12T16:52:00.000-08:00

Okay, I haven't posted in a few days...that's probably because I was a little embarrassed with myself two days ago. I was down to under 200 at one point....EEK. Yesterday I played decent poker and made about half of my losses back...today was a great day...I made back everything lost plus another 60 dollars or so.

My most memorable moment for the day:

I was playing a one table SnG and there was a player to my left who played almost every hand...raise or no raise. He limps in in mid position with K2 offsuit, the button raises to 5x the big blind with AQ suited...K2 offsuit calls. K2 flops his top pair, AQ misses the flop. K2 checks, AQ places a continuation bet which K2 promptly calls. Well...the same thing happens on the turn and the river...river card is an ace...vindication for the button =)

Well, K2 starts whining about being rivered. A few moments later someone says something that is so fitting for Mr. K2:

"You can lead a horse to the river....but a DONKEY will follow you every time"

HAAA! I laughed so hard I about wet myself...lol. Seeing that did confirm that the law of averages is not in favor of the donkey.

last post>>> 260.43 today >>> 332.28 >>> Up 71.85 since last post >>> up 232.28 all together.

I'm getting closer

2007-01-09T18:10:00.000-08:00

Well, I was ahead fairly early today so I decided to go ahead and attempt another 180 man SnG...only a $4 buy in this time. I am absolutely proud of myself for how I played this tourney! Don't get me wrong...I still have many mountains to climb before I can win one for sure. I passed the bubble with an above average stack....continued to play my hands instead of being parylized with fear...and actually made it to the final table. WOO HOO! I finished in 8th place...that is definitely progress =)

After supper I played a .10/.25 ring table for a half hour with a 15.00 buy in. I was ahead at 18.00 within the first few hands and then the cards really went cold. I decided to sit it out a bit and see if the cards changed....boy did they ever. 25 minutes into it I was dealt AA and took a nice pot. The very next hand was KK...another nice pot, followed by AQ...good hand but no pot on that one. Two hands later AA again!!! Well, some other guy was dealt KK the same hand and my reraise prompted him to move all in. Now THAT was a nice pot. After that hand I was sitting at 60.00 on the table. Not too bad, eh? I clicked 'sit out' and left the table...another thing I'm getting better about =)

I'm trying to learn bankroll management now...since my co-blogger, Scott, wants to make it part of a new experiment for us. LOL...I really never thought about bankroll management at all...either I was winning or I wasn't. Anyway, I'm hoping Scott can help me with this when he gets a chance.

Totals for the day:

Started with 164.26 >>> Ended with 260.43 >>> Up 96.17 for the day >>> Up 160.43 all together.

Why you don't play poker DRUNK..hehe

2007-01-08T20:39:00.000-08:00

CAUTION: Do not attempt anything you are about to read in this post...I am a professional (if you believe that...well...um....)

Okay, first of all, on Sundays I go out to the bar and sing karaoke. While doing this I usually have my fair share of beverage....okay...last night I was pretty liquid to say the least. Well, when I got home there was the computer...calling me softly....just play a few hands before bed...crap.

Well, I can remember (vaguely) sitting at the ring table at a low stakes table (I picked a low stakes table with only $6 because I knew in my drunken state that I would probably lose it...lol.) At some point I reraised to all in with J8...I had a pair of jacks and someone else had already bet. The guy paused for a few seconds asking me:

trip J's? two pairs? draw??

Well, he did end up calling me (of course) and took the pot with an ace kicker. Well, he couldn't just leave it at that now could he?? LOL...I guess I wouldn't have either if I were in his shoes. He then says, "Shame on you...making me worry like that." Well, I promptly rebought...asking for more punishment OBVIOUSLY. A few stupid plays later the same guy says..."What starts with a T and rhymes with KILT?" LMAO....to which I quickly replied, "What starts with a D and rhymes with TRUNK??" I was busted a few hands later...having made my donations I left with my tail between my legs.

Okay...I'm not done, though...no...far from it...lol

I then decided that to make the money back quickly I needed to sit down at a higher stakes table....(can you say STUPID??) Well, i sit down with $30 which I'm sure I would have lost had I not hit a flush on my third hand. It was beautiful...as if someone was watching out for me...lol. I hit my flush on the flop and out of position. I raise and another guy reraises every time after the flop, the turn AND the river...SCORE! I made my lost money back plus some. I then click the 'sit out next hand' button and take several deep breaths...lol.

heed my warning...not all drunken poker rants end as pretty as mine did =)

So, I'm ahead for another day...thank GOD.

Started with 143.41>>>ended with 164.26>>>up 20.85 for the day>>>up 64.26 all together

c'est la vie

2007-01-07T15:47:00.000-08:00

Not really anything noteworthy as far as memorable plays for me today. One funny thing, though. With 4 of us left at a SnG a guy on the button with 44 pre-flop raises 3x the bb. A guy with 88 calls him from the bb. The flop comes with two Queens and a rag...bb checks, button goes all in, bb calls and takes the pot. This guy freaked cuz the guy with 88 "had no business calling that bet with 2 Q's on the board."

Well, everyone else on the table said they would have called with his 8's because it was fairly obvious that he didn't have the Q. I said, "I knew you didn't have it." Well, he proceeded to bludgeon me verbally with critique for my entire game...omg. "Why don't you try playing some hands, val...what a pussy." "You think you can just fold your way to the money." "I see your stats on my tracker...you only play like 22% of your hands."

Well, I just blow him off...he goes on tilt and is out shortly after that. I do play a tight game...that's just my style. I wonder how much money people are making off of those 'trackers' out there. With so many people joining the poker band wagon I'm sure almost everyone has one....well, except for me. I've been tempted, I admit. But I really want to learn this on my own rather than rely on a computer program. It really bothers me, though...that someone can find out whatever they want about my play as soon as they sit down at a table with me without ever having played with me before. Ah well, c'est la vie.

My grand total for the day:

Started with 125.56 >>> Ended with 143.41 >>> Up 17.85 for the day >>> Up 43.41 total

Conspiracy Theory

2007-01-06T19:26:00.000-08:00

Well, I spent the day thinking that no matter how good my hand was someone would find a way to suck out on me...lol. I have those days every once in a while...I really had no business playing poker today with that in my head. I was asking to lose a bunch of money.

I played 3 one table $10 SnG's today...got taken out of every single one...and not even anywhere close to the money...well, 'cept for the last one I was one short of the money. After the last one I decided to drown my sorrows at a ring table with $30. Luckily I doubled up on like my 5th hand with a full house Kings full of Tens. I knew I had to leave the table immediately...when I win a nice pot I tend to get careless. At that point I was only down $3 for the day. Well, I did some real work for a while (yes, I do work for a living...lol) then I came back and sat down to the tourney that I've been trying to win for what seems like forever...the $10 - 180 man SnG. I was wounded almost immediately...I don't even remember the hand. I was at around 600 in chips for about the first 45 minutes of the tourney. Then suddenly I doubled up plus some two hands in a row and was finally sitting with a decent stack of about 3500...a little over the average stack.

After the first break I was at about 11,000 - 5th place out of about 80 remaining players...not too bad. I did make progress this tourney...when the bubble came I continued to play (normally I tighten up here.) I made it to the money with a decent stack. I was so proud of myself for doing this...I'm usually pretty wounded by the time I make it to the money. Well, then I made a stupid move and tried to buy a pot...bad timing...the guy had the nuts. Ah well, I finished 18th which did leave me ahead for the day...but not by much...lol.

The conspiracy theory monsters seem to have subsided for now...thank goodness I made it out alive =)

118.81 > 125.56 I'm up 6.75 from yesterday and 25.56 all together.

I can't complain

2007-01-05T21:34:00.000-08:00

I had a pretty good day today. And I got to play with my friend, Scott...yay...it's been a while. Well, I played briefly...before I was so abruptly taken out with a higher flush...crap. Thanks for linking to my blog, Scott. If anyone else reads this you should definitely check out Scott's blog: http://www.acefilleddreams.blogspot.com

Anyway, I did my deposit and played a tourney...which I was out of within a few minutes. I then sat down at a ring table with 60 dollars and promptly lost 20 with pocket kings against pocket aces. I won't go into detail there...it wasn't pretty, lol. The good thing was that I didn't go on tilt. I took a good hour but I left the table ahead 20 dollars. I then played an 18 man 10 dollar sng and took second place.

An hour at a ring table after dinner took 30 dollars of my daily winnings...eek. I flopped a nut flush and some other guy flopped trips...yup...the board paired on the river for his boat...sigh.

Grand total for the day: 118.81 > I'm up 18.81 I can't complain.

I'm a donk....LOL

2007-01-05T08:38:00.000-08:00

"Nice suckout...Donk" says an angry player who just let me draw out a flush on his flopped trips.

"Donk?" I say. "How so?"

He says, "You're a donk cuz you kept betting into me on a stupid flush draw when I had the best hand"

"Sweetie, you practically gave that pot to me....if you would have taken notice that there was a flush draw on the board and not just smooth called my little bets you may have fared better, eh?"

LOL.....well, that comment doesn't help any, it only pisses him off more. I've now moved down the animal chain to a fish. Then he starts rambling on about how the poker sites are all rigged and he can't understand why he's always losing with the best starting hand.

Yesterday was a wealth of learning for me. Unfortunately the hand above didn't make up for all of the losses for the day. I can say that taking the opportunity to analyze a bad play on my part really seems to help me keep a clear head.

I need to make a deposit today...sigh. It's been two months since I've had to do that which actually is progress for me. I live for the day that I can actually take money out of my bankroll...what a concept.

I'm starting fresh with $100...I think I'll try posting my balance on here every few days, eek!

Are they really fish or do they know something I don't?

2007-01-04T11:30:00.000-08:00

Today I sat down to an 18 person turbo SNG $1.50 buy in. My very first hand I'm dealt As Kh on the button. First of all, I don't like to play the first few hands just because that's when all the crazy people are making irrational bets etc...but since everyone limped in I raised 6x the blind. My formula on group A hands is to raise 4x the big blind plus 1x for every limper before me...there were two limpers so I raised 6x the blind. Much to my surprise no one dropped. Well, the flop comes 6h Ac 7c so I've flopped top pair. Everyone checks to me...I see a flush draw and a straight draw on the board so I don't want to mess around with anything other than taking the pot down right now. I go all in...everyone drops like flies...except for one. He calls my all in without hesitation with his Kc 4c. I can't say that I didn't swear when his flush came on the river. So, I ask myself what went wrong here.

Did I not raise enough preflop?
Is calling 6x the big blind a good call with K4 suited?
Is calling off your whole chip stack on a draw the right move?
Should I have played so agressively on the very first hand?
Should I stay away from the low buy-in tourneys because of the amount of inexperienced players?

Well, I got over it pretty quickly. I entered another tourney, same buy-in. My second hand was pocket 5's. I limp in in late position with 2 callers before me, the big blind then raises to 3x the blind and everyone calls. I flop a set...there are 2 clubs on the board for a flush draw...no other real danger. 4 players check to me, I go all in with my set and get one caller...for the love of god...another person calling off his whole chip stack on a draw. This time the guy gets his flush on the turn.

So there you have it. Just a bad day? I dunno...I'm perplexed.

Why do I freeze when I get close to the money?

2007-01-03T17:43:00.000-08:00

Okay, I've been playing enough that I know this is a serious issue. I enter an online tournament, a big one...like over 1,000 players. I play solid and aggressive and have no problem building my stack to way above average. As the field continues to narrow I keep pushing...I know I need to keep building my stack so that when I get to the last few tables I will be in a dominating position. Hmmm...this would be the case in my perfect world of holdem'.

Here's what really happens: Everything goes according to what I have written above up until the point that the field is narrowing to the point of being close to the money. It's at this time when everything I know about poker seems to go right out the window. I tighten up so badly that I squeak...even with weak players to my left I'll fold on the button with my decent hands. It's like I'm a different person, one who has never played the game before.

So, the last few large tourneys I've played I've tried to really identify what my feelings are...what my reasoning is for tightening up so much. This is what I've come up with, a few things that go through my head are:

I'll tighten up just long enough to make it to the money...at least I'll get my entry fee back.
I've been playing for over two hours...I don't want this to be for nothing...I've got to be extra careful now.
Everyone is going all in...do I really want to risk a third of my stack on AQ suited?? (This one is tough...I know that most of the short stacks going all in are just praying for everyone to fold so they can steal the blinds.)

What happens now is that I play so tight that I get blinded out to a mediocre stack. So, I'm in the money...with not a chance to make it to the big money. I become frustrated, desperate, and irritated with myself. I go all in on a decent hand in hopes of doubling up...only to get taken out.

I'm going to work hard at nipping this behavior in the bud. I cannot continue to be scared to play hands when I should be pushing the short stacks out of the picture. I need to be playing for the final table, not just to get my entry fee back. Hopefully I'll be able to post a success story on this within the next few months =)

In the beginning

2007-01-03T16:08:00.000-08:00

It's been about two years since I sat down at my first Texas Holdem' table. It was at a local bar that my friends and I used to visit once a week. The host came over and asked my friend and I if we'd like to play...of course we said no. "I don't know how to play" I say in a dismissive voice as I turn away. "You don't have to know how, we'll teach you...that's the only way you'll ever learn...c'mon, try it...you'll love it" says the host. There were three tables of nine people, I caught on to the basics pretty quickly, In the beginning it was pretty much check, call or fold...I had no concept of reading the players, bluffing, slow playing, etc. Well, that bar is long gone...sold and turned into a soup kitchen.

Little did I know at that time that I would become so involved in this phenominon that we call Texas Holdem'.

Since that time I've participated and placed in the money in numerous tournaments and have learned some very valuable lessons in this game. I've gotten heads-up play down to an art...the problem is actually getting to heads up in the really big tourneys. I'm known by many of the local players as 'the black widow.' Funny, that nick-name gives me a warm fuzzy feeling inside...LOL. I feel that I've got a long way to go before my confidence is at a level that I would be comfortable competing in serious competitions, though. I'm hoping that just keeping a record of my journey will help to identify some of my strengths and weaknesses. I know that I am capable of playing a good, solid game; I also know that I am suscpectible to playing too tight...or, on the flip side, too loose (depending on the day..hehehe.)