Today's Results:

340 hands, 3h 40m: +$491.00
Hourly Rate: Obscene.

Month to Date:
556 hands, 5h 4m: +$284.00
Hourly Rate: $56.05/hr

Since Returning to LHE (February 1, 2006):
3029 hands, 29h, 2m: +$1,121.25
Hourly Rate: $38.62/hr
VP$IP: 16.04%
PFR: 9.11%
AF-Total: 3.39
WtSD: 32.07%
W$SD: 54.30%
BB/100: 6.01

Not bad, eh?

Not bad at all, I'm assuming this is actual hours and not table hours right? I may have to check out Full Tilt in that case...I forget is that site 21+?

That is actual hours. I'm not sure about the 21+, I'm 31 and don't need to worry about it. However, that's between Stars and Full Tilt. I essentially am exclusive to those two sites.

Had a crappy night session last night--thats what I get for playing after working last night. I just should've stayed in bed...

Full Tilt Poker
Limit Holdem Ring game
Limit: $3/$6
9 players


Pre-flop: (9 players) Hero is MP1 with
UTG raises, UTG+1 folds, Hero 3-bets, MP2 folds, MP3 calls, CO folds, Button calls, SB folds, BB calls, UTG Caps, Hero calls, MP3 calls, Button calls, BB calls.

Flop: (20.5SB, 5 players)
BB bets, UTG raises, Hero calls, MP3 calls, Button folds, BB 3-bets, UTG calls, Hero calls, MP3 calls.

Turn: (16.25BB, 4 players)
BB checks, UTG checks, Hero bets, MP3 raises, BB calls, UTG folds, Hero calls.

River: (22.25BB, 3 players)
BB checks, Hero bets, MP3 raises, BB folds, Hero calls.

Results:
Final pot: 26.25BB
MP3 showed Tc Ts
Hero mucks Kh Kc

Not a conspiracy theorist in any way, but UTG claimed he had AA and BB claimed he had 88, so it was AA vs. KK vs. TT vs. 88...MP3 was uber-LAG (42/14/1.4) and I just couldn't get away from KK in a pot that large.

PokerStars 3/6 Hold'em (9 handed)

Preflop: Hero is CO with , .
4 folds, MP3 calls, Hero calls, 2 folds, BB checks.

Flop: (3.33 SB) , , (3 players)
BB checks, MP3 checks, Hero bets, BB folds, MP3 calls.

Turn: (2.66 BB) (2 players)
MP3 checks, Hero bets, MP3 raises, Hero calls.

River: (6.66 BB) (2 players)
MP3 bets, Hero calls.

Final Pot: 8.66 BB

Results in white below:
MP3 has Qc Ts (three of a kind, queens).
Hero has 8h 8s (two pair, queens and eights).
Outcome: MP3 wins 8.66 BB.

Couldn't get away from 88 there--even the turn raise didn't convince me he had a Queen...

PokerStars 3/6 Hold'em (9 handed)

Preflop: Hero is MP3 with , .
4 folds, Hero calls, 3 folds, BB checks.

Flop: (2.33 SB) , , (2 players)
BB bets, Hero raises, BB calls.

Turn: (3.16 BB) (2 players)
BB bets, Hero calls.

River: (5.16 BB) (2 players)
BB bets, Hero calls.

Final Pot: 7.16 BB

Results in white below:
BB has Qd 3h (full house, threes full of queens).
Hero has 8h 8d (two pair, eights and threes).
Outcome: BB wins 7.16 BB.

Just bad luck..When BB called the flop raise, I thought he had two pair right there. I wen't weak-tight, not that it mattered, and he showed me the worst-case hand...

Total for the evening:
45m, 95 hands, -$173.50.

Bad play and bad luck will get you there every time. Plus, with a VP$IP of 12.63% and a PFR of 2.11%, I was playing my marginal hands (88, etc.) way too far. My overall AF-T was 1.25, so I wasn't playing my game, and the results showed exactly that.

Today's Results--might get a few more hands in tonight...

3/6 LHE (Full Tilt and PokerStars): 516 hands, 3.75 hrs: +$237.50

I'm extremely proud that I was down significantly in 3 of my 4 table sessions and came back to not only even the ledger, but break through for a nice profit.

March to Date:

3/6 LHE: 1323 hands, 11.77 hrs, +$441.00
Hourly Rate: $37.48/hr

Year to Date (since returning to LHE 2/1/06):

3/6 LHE: 3796 hands, 35.73 hrs, +$1278.25
Hourly Rate: $35.77/hr
Win Rate: 5.35 BB/100 (including bonuses)

Not a great little session last night--did you ever feel like you just can't get into a rhythm? That was me last night.

1h 24m, 250 hands, -$135.50

Just a few missed draws, a few times where an opponent made a gutsy call to pick off a bluff, and it's the difference between winning and losing.

I started to get impatient, and that's when the game gets difficult. One thing that a lot of players need to learn (and I need to remember) is that in a session, until you get into a rhythm, you need to let the game come to you. You aren't playing with rocket scientists, for the most part, and until you show them that you're not one to be screwed around with, they will call you down. I have to remember that no matter how solid a player I am, until my opponent sees it right there, what I've done for the last year plus doesn't mean squat.

Be patient--wait for some good hands. I buy in borderline short ($100 at a 3/6 table), and with a few misses, your stack can start looking pretty crappy. That promotes impatience. By waiting and not pushing marginal hands early, you get to a) accumulate some chips, b) show down solid hands, and c) get the table thinking your image is uber-tight, uber-aggressive, and that you love your made hands. People's short term memory is pretty damn good, even at 3/6 and 5/10.

Show down a couple monster hands, scoop a couple nice pots, and watch your raises get respect. It also forces many weaker players to get predictable.

This was a losing hand, but after the hand, the opponent said that my flop raise may have saved me $18.

Full Tilt Poker
Limit Holdem Ring game
Limit: $3/$6
9 players


Pre-flop: (9 players) Hero is BB with
UTG folds, UTG+1 calls, MP1 folds, MP2 raises, 4 folds, Hero calls, UTG+1 calls.

Flop: (6.5SB, 3 players)
Hero checks, UTG+1 checks, MP2 bets, Hero raises, UTG+1 folds, MP2 calls.

Turn: (5.25BB, 2 players)
Hero bets, MP2 calls.

River: (7.25BB, 2 players)
Hero bets, MP2 calls.

Results:
Final pot: 9.25BB
Hero showed Tc 6c
MP2 showed Ac Qc

By raising and having a solid table image, not to mention the ability to be a tricky player, I forced the opponent to call down with the NUT FLUSH. I really think that if he didn't have the , he may just have folded his flush, because I'm usually so aggressive that my flop raise may have meant that I had KK and he was drawing dead or that I had 33 and he was drawing really dead. I wasn't counting on him to have the flush on the turn with me, but my aggression kept me from having my ass completely handed to me, and it put fear into the heart of a guy who had a monster.

The cost of arrogance--dropped $100 this morning on Full Tilt. I'm just not listening to my own advice, and a suckout here or there doesn't help, either...

I know he had outs, but it stings...
Full Tilt Poker
Limit Holdem Ring game
Limit: $3/$6
6 players


Pre-flop: (6 players) Hero is BB with
UTG folds, UTG+1 calls, 3 folds, 3 folds, Hero checks.

Flop: (2.5SB, 2 players)
Hero checks, UTG+1 bets, Hero raises, UTG+1 calls.

Turn: (3.25BB, 2 players)
Hero bets, UTG+1 calls.

River: (5.25BB, 2 players)
Hero bets, UTG+1 raises, Hero calls.

Results:
Final pot: 9.25BB
UTG+1 showed Tc Jd
Hero mucks 7d 4c

Of course, my aggression caused me to get trapped here...
Full Tilt Poker
Limit Holdem Ring game
Limit: $3/$6
9 players


Pre-flop: (9 players) Hero is MP2 with
2 folds, MP1 calls, Hero raises, 2 folds, Button calls, SB folds, BB calls, MP1 calls.

Flop: (8.5SB, 4 players)
BB checks, MP1 checks, Hero bets, Button calls, BB folds, MP1 calls.

Turn: (5.75BB, 3 players)
MP1 checks, Hero bets, Button folds, MP1 raises, Hero calls.

River: (9.75BB, 2 players)
MP1 is all-in $0.5, Hero calls.

Results:
Final pot: 9.92BB
MP1 showed Td Ac
Hero mucks Js Ad

Other than that and losing and losing a hand with A9 vs. AJ and dropping JJ with an ace and a king on the board, I didn't lose more than 1.5 BB on any one hand--just got ground down again. Not much you can do.

Oh, and I'm currently playing a SnG and what kind of beat do I take?

I'm chipleader with 3 left. Guy raises with 60/120 blinds to 500 with ATs--I push him all in for 2k more with 77. I flop the set and watch him catch running diamonds to suck out a flush. Now we're just about even...Damn.

What amazes me about this game is that there seems to be no middle ground. Either I'm running white-hot or ice-cold. Today I played a short morning session at Full Tilt (or should I say mourning), and I just CAN'T SEEM TO WIN. I played 39 hands, and lost $100. Real quick-like. I should've known it was a bad thing--there was a guy who won literally the first 6 hands I saw at the table. He played ANYTHING, and just seemed to hit every time.

Back to my play, because that's what I can affect:

I played 8 hands total...
AK (twice)--whiffed both times. -$21
AJ (twice)--whiffed both times after raising first in. -$14.50
A2s (twice)--limped in with one, defended BB with one--whiffed both times. -$6.
QJs--flopped open ended straight draw with 9T and a flush draw--whiffed on both draws. -$21.
77--flop came all overcards--with 5 to the flop, I'm beat here. -$3
66--vs. the BB flop 8-J-2, the BB check-called to the river which put 2 Q's on board. Then he check-raised, I called and he showed 22 for the full house. -$18.

Since Tuesday's high point...
657 hands, -$460.00
VP$IP: 15.98%, PFR: 7.76%, AF-T: 2.26
WtSD: 33.61%, W$SD: 36.59%

1 winning session out of 8, and that was an $18 win in a session where I was stuck $47--this is running shitty folks. What's frustrating to me is the sudden turn--no warning--just from very (and too) good to very (and too) bad. I understand variance, but wow...



I also know I shouldn't be complaining--that 3.85BB/100 is nothing to sneeze at even after the downswing, but you know, once you get that taste of success, however extreme, you just want it to keep coming. When AK after AK misses, when flush/straight draw after draw misses, it almost makes you want to chase them harder because you just CAN'T miss them all, can you?

Back to the drawing board.

Poker is like that. You are running good and think that you are invincible and can't lose. Then your luck suddenly changes and no matter how well you play you can't win. You either get no starting cards, or you get good starting cards and your opponents get better cards, or the flops miss you, or you finally get a good hand and then get beat on the turn or the river. It happens to me fairly often, which is why it is so hard to average more than 3BB/100, because of all the ways a person can run bad.

I was running over 4BB/100 last month, when suddenly I had a day when I lost 41 big bets, and 3 days later, I had a day when I lost 46 big bets. I was still playing well, just having bad luck. I ended up the month averaging about 2BB/100.

It sounds like you are playing good, so just keep playing good and hopefully your luck will turn around.

I think that I am playing the same game and limits as you (3/6 limit hold'em), so I am interested in how you are doing and enjoy reading your journal.

Played a little yesterday:

223 hands, +$0.50

Yes, plus $0.50.

I lost twice with nut flushes that got beat by full houses. I lost with a full house to a drawn out higher full house. I feel privileged that I was able to eek out a winning session despite those disasters:

I slowplayed this, so I deserved it.

PokerStars 3/6 Hold'em (9 handed)

Preflop: Hero is UTG with , .
Hero calls, 2 folds, MP2 calls, 4 folds, BB checks.

Flop: (3.33 SB) , , (3 players)
BB checks, Hero checks, MP2 checks.

Turn: (1.66 BB) (3 players)
BB checks, Hero checks, MP2 checks.

River: (1.66 BB) (3 players)
BB bets, Hero raises, MP2 folds, BB 3-bets, Hero caps, BB calls.

Final Pot: 9.66 BB

Results in white below:
BB has 2d 2c (full house, twos full of tens).
Hero has Ac 3c (flush, ace high).
Outcome: BB wins 9.66 BB.

This one, nothing you can do...

PokerStars 3/6 Hold'em (7 handed)

Preflop: Hero is BB with , .
1 fold, MP1 raises, 4 folds, Hero calls.

Flop: (4.33 SB) , , (2 players)
Hero checks, MP1 bets, Hero calls.

Turn: (3.16 BB) (2 players)
Hero checks, MP1 bets, Hero raises, MP1 calls.

River: (7.16 BB) (2 players)
Hero bets $3 (All-In), MP1 calls.

Final Pot: 8.16 BB

Results in white below:
Hero has Js Tc (full house, jacks full of kings).
MP1 has Th Kh (full house, kings full of jacks).
Outcome: MP1 wins 8.16 BB.

Or this:

PokerStars 3/6 Hold'em (7 handed)

Preflop: Hero is BB with , .
1 fold, MP1 raises, 4 folds, Hero calls.

Flop: (4.33 SB) , , (2 players)
Hero checks, MP1 bets, Hero calls.

Turn: (3.16 BB) (2 players)
Hero checks, MP1 bets, Hero raises, MP1 calls.

River: (7.16 BB) (2 players)
Hero bets $3 (All-In), MP1 calls.

Final Pot: 8.16 BB

Results in white below:
Hero has Js Tc (full house, jacks full of kings).
MP1 has Th Kh (full house, kings full of jacks).
Outcome: MP1 wins 8.16 BB.

Or this:

PokerStars 3/6 Hold'em (10 handed)

Preflop: Hero is UTG+2 with , . MP3 posts a blind of $4.
UTG raises, 1 fold, Hero calls, MP1 calls, MP2 calls, MP3 (poster) calls, 3 folds, BB calls.

Flop: (12.66 SB) , , (6 players)
BB bets, UTG raises, Hero calls, MP1 folds, MP2 folds, MP3 folds, BB 3-bets, UTG calls, Hero calls.

Turn: (10.83 BB) (3 players)
BB bets, UTG folds, Hero calls.

River: (12.83 BB) (2 players)
BB bets, Hero folds.

Final Pot: 13.83 BB

Converter screwed up--he had AQ with the Q of hearts.

But a winning session, nonetheless...

Can I ask why you checked through the first two streets of the first one. Especially the flop.