Hello all,
I am going to take the plunge and start one of these things.
I need to get my game in order, and I think that the shame of having to put up my worst played hands here will help me make better decisions and if I get some good advice about how to do better the next time I'll be grateful.
I have been a member of this board since last January. I read it more or less daily but haven't been posting much, at least not in the poker section. Maybe this journal will make a difference there.
I am 34, married, have one child and live in the countrysideoutside a small village in Smaland in Sweden.
In the autumn of 2004 I discovered online poker and was hooked on the availability of games. I deposited $500 at Multipoker and started to play Hold'em. I didn't really know what I was doing but I slowly got better, read a lot, understood the difference between FL and NL etc. During 2005 I managed to run my BR up to $6000, withdrew $4000 to use as part of a down payment on a house, ran the BR up to about $8000. This I did by lots of bonuswhoring and playing NL within the 30x buy-in rule.
In december I took the plunge up to $200. I played it with varying results during december, took a downswing in january, not too much, but I felt that I didn't play well enough. I went down to $100 in february and parts of march, won some and then went back to the $200 with some newfound insights, like not playing when too tired, when I'm thinking about other things etc.
Since then it has been sort of stale. I win some sessions, but overall I am losing on the $200. The bonuses have been padding my BR, but it isn't enough anymore. During the last four days it has been all to clear. I have been playing like S**t, opening up leaks that I thought I had plugged forever. Result for the last four days: -$2200.

These are the common things for my biggest losing hands in April in descending order:

* I'm not respecting min-raises. Instead I treat them as weakness.

* CR-all in does not scare people enough to get them to fold if the pot is somewhat large.

* TPTK and overpairs are not all-in hands at the river if you have been called down all the way, not even at 6-max.

* I am not controlling the pot. Instead of being satisfied with a small pot that I win, I constantly try to get the pots as large as possible, often with sub-par hands. This is some kind of low-level tilt, that I feel that I need to win back the losses.


Goals for this journal:
* I am going to go down to $100, and I am going to play there until I get my game in order again. This will be somewhat subjective, but will at least involve three winning sessions in a row, where the profit comes from making good decisions.

* I will post the largest pot I won, the largest pot I lost and a hand that I found troublesome or interesting every day I play. I'll try to analyze my hands and invite comments, suggestions etc.

/gnu

My PTstats for April, about 75% is 6-max.

Total hands: 2920
VP$IP:22.16 [a bit low, at least for 6-max?]
PFR:6.85 [on the low end as well]
Went to SD%:22.66 [a bit high, but not too much?]
Won $ at SD%: 47.31 [way too low. I'm going to SD with crap]
Won $ WSF%: 34.60 [about OK, I guess]
Amount won: -2003.85 [not good at all]
PTBB/100: -18.04 [not good at all]

Comments, suggestions?

Session 1 20th of April.

Not much to say. I played rather stable except for one hand, the last hand. Lost a stack for it so lesson learned.

Ongame $1BB 5-max 3 tables

Hands: 535
VP$IP: 20.93
PFR: 5.61
W$WSF:36.84
WtSD: 19.74
W$SD:66.67
Amount won: -137.55
PTBB/100: -12.86


Winner:
Poker Room skin
No Limit Holdem Ring game
Blinds: $0.50/$1
5 players


Stack sizes:
UTG: $36.90
CO: $98.50
Button: $272.30
gnuffel: $82.95
BB: $95.70

Pre-flop: (5 players) gnuffel is SB with
UTG folds, CO calls, Button folds, gnuffel calls, BB checks.

Flop: ($3, 3 players)
gnuffel checks, BB bets $1.5, CO folds, gnuffel calls.

Turn: ($6, 2 players)
gnuffe bets $4, BB raises to $10, gnuffel calls.

River: ($26, 2 players)
gnuffe bets $16, BB calls.

Should I have made a bigger bet here?

Results:
Final pot: $58
gnuffe shows 9C QD
No big winning hands. When I flopped something good, nobody else had anything. The play at the $100 is somewhat more passive than at the $200, something that I should adjust to in the future.

Loser:
Not much to say. I played like a donk and paid the price. I should have folded pf, or when I got called on the flop at the latest.

Texas Hold'em $1 NL (real money),
Table Istanbul, 20 Apr 2006 12:38 PM ET

Seat 1: SB ($30.50 in chips)
Seat 3: BB ($246.30 in chips)
Seat 5: gnuffe [ AH,8H ] ($103.20 in chips)
Seat 8: UTG+1 ($115.00 in chips)
Seat 9: Button ($37.60 in chips)
ANTES/BLINDS
SB posts blind ($0.50), BB posts blind ($1).

PRE-FLOP
gnuffe calls $1, UTG+1 calls $1, Button folds, SB bets $3.50, BB calls $3, gnuffe calls $3, UTG+1 calls $3.

FLOP [board cards 4H,8C,5D ]
SB bets $10, BB calls $10, gnuffe calls $10, UTG+1 folds.

TURN [board cards 4H,8C,5D,4D ]
SB bets $16.50 and is all-in, BB calls $16.50, gnuffe bets $89.20 and is all-in, BB calls $72.70.

RIVER [board cards 4H,8C,5D,4D,7C ]

SHOWDOWN
gnuffe shows [ AH,8H ]
SB shows [ JC,JH ]
BB shows [ 7H,6S ]
BB wins $238.90.

SUMMARY
Dealer: Button
Pot: $240.90 | Rake: $2
SB loses $30.50
BB bets $103.20, collects $238.90, net $135.70
gnuffe loses $103.20
UTG+1 loses $4
Button loses $0

Problem hand:
Should I have pushed this? I'm only afraid of the A or K of Clubs, but he wouldn't call without one of them (maybe not without the A). Still I can't see doing it differently, except folding pf.

Poker Room skin
No Limit Holdem Ring game
Blinds: $0.50/$1
5 players


Stack sizes:
UTG: $66.10
CO: $93.40
Button: $154.60
SB: $156.60
gnuffe: $100.00

Pre-flop: (5 players) gnuffe is BB with
UTG calls, CO folds, Button calls, SB calls, gnuffel checks.

Flop: ($4, 4 players)
SB checks, gnuffe bets $3, UTG calls, Button calls, SB calls.

Turn: ($16, 4 players)
SB checks, gnuffe bets $12, UTG folds, Button calls, SB folds.

River: ($40, 2 players)
gnuffe checks, Button bets $30, gnuffel calls.

Results:
Final pot: $100
Button shows AC 2C
gnuffe shows 6C QC


Time to focus and get the game in order.

no we just started with poker. Only limit csah games and every thursday tournament.

Bah. Lost again. Hmmm. This time I'll pin it down on variance, or maybe my inability to let go of the overpair.

I-poker NL1/2 (shouldn't do this although I have the BR and the tables had a couple of players I know and don't respect) 3 tables.

Hands: 251
$Won: -363.71
BB/100: -36,23


Biggest winner:

gnuffe posts Small Blind $1
BB posts Big Blind $2
Dealing cards
Your cards Kh Ad
UTG folds
UTG+1 raises $4
gnuffe raises $9
BB folds
UTG+1 calls $6
Dealing Flop Ts Kc Ac
gnuffe bets $15
UTG+1 raises $60
gnuffe calls $45

[smells like a draw. Call with intention of going all-in on brick turn]
Dealing Turn Ts Kc Ac 5d
gnuffe bets $179.65
UTG+1 goes All-in $108.42
Dealing River Ts Kc Ac 5d Qh
gnuffe shows Two Pair Kh Ad
Winner is gnuffe with Two Pair Qh Kh Kc Ad Ac $428.07
gnuffe is the dealer
UTG+1 had Q10o for the inside straight draw and bottompair.

A bit risky, but the player was very Loose (VP$IP 60%).



Biggest loser:

HU - table got short. I had been chipping away at this guy for a while, winning preflop, on the flop by betting with nothing much. He played back but folded often enough to make it profitable. Then this little gem:

Starting a new hand (#383940950)
gnuffe posts Small Blind $1
BB posts Big Blind $2
Dealing cards
Your cards As Qs
gnuffe raises $8
BB calls $7
Dealing Flop 2s Ts 5c
BB checks
gnuffe bets $15
BB raises $30
[The min raise. I saw it, but figured that I had some good outs, the flush, two overcards and two runner-runner straight draws.] I ran it through PokerStove and I am really not ahead on anything except for another draw, which is unlikely. Should I have folded here? Hu makes it harder to do that in these situations.

gnuffe raises $245.85
BB goes All-in $151.35
Dealing Turn 2s Ts 5c 9h
Dealing River 2s Ts 5c 9h 4c
BB shows Three of a kind 2h 2c
gnuffe shows High Card As Qs
$79.50 returned to gnuffe
Winner is BB with Three of a kind 2h 2s 2c 9h Ts $379.70
BB is the dealer



Problemhand: Lost twice with AA. The first hand I played:

Starting a new hand (#383935357)
SB posts Small Blind $1
gnuffe posts Big Blind $2
Dealing cards
Your cards Ac Ad
UTG raises $7
UTG+1 calls $7
SB folds
gnuffe raises $20
UTG folds
UTG+1 calls $15
I'm figuring him for highish PP or AK (game is 4-handed and it is my first hand. I could have anything really)

Dealing Flop 6c Jd Ks
gnuffe bets $45
UTG+1 goes All-in $153
gnuffe calls $108
Oops. Either he has JJ or KK or AK. JJ or AK is possible. I shouldn't call here. I should fold, or is that too weak-tight?

Dealing Turn 6c Jd Ks Tc
Dealing River 6c Jd Ks Tc 4h
UTG+1 shows Two Pair Js Kc
Winner is UTG+1 with Two Pair Tc Jd Js Ks Kc $356

I didn't see KJo as an option in his HD, but one learns all the time.

Other AA:

Starting a new hand (#383941413)
SB posts Small Blind $1
BB posts Big Blind $2
UTG posts Big Blind $2
Dealing cards
Your cards Ad Ah
UTG calls $2
UTG+1 checks
gnuffe raises $12

SB folds
BB calls $10
UTG folds
UTG+1 folds
Dealing Flop 5h 6d Qd
BB checks
gnuffe bets $25
BB calls $25
Dealing Turn 5h 6d Qd Ks
BB checks
gnuffe bets $75
BB goes All-in $73.95
Dealing River 5h 6d Qd Ks 8s
BB shows Three of a kind 6c 6s
gnuffe shows One Pair Ad Ah
$1.05 returned to gnuffe
Winner is BB with Three of a kind 6d 6s 6c Qd Ks $224.90
SB is the dealer

Oh well. He didn't have more than one potbet left in his stack and I couldn't really check on turn, since if he had AK he would have had a hard time not calling a potbet. This one I don't see how I should not have been stacked here. The alarmbells went off in my head, but still I think I needed to make the call unless I square put him on a set. He could have had QQ, 66, 55 or an FD.

Oh well, lesson not learned. Still calling off my stack with an overpair. Not once, but twice.

Sessions 4-8

These were the sessions I played this weekend. Didn't get much play in, due to the fact that I acutally slept a whole night for once between Sat and Sun. Got it back tonight though. I am no stranger to what my house looks like at 2.30 AM. Tired but somewhat in good spirits.

Played ongame $1 and I-poker $1 (5- and 6-max respectively)

Hands: 1463
$Won: 366,5
PTBB/100: 15.53


Winner:

Texas Hold'em $1-$2 NL (real money),
Seat 1: gnuffe [ QH,QC ] ($92.90 in chips)
Seat 5: BB x ($45.50 in chips)
Seat 8: UTG ($182.20 in chips)
Seat 9: UTG+1 ($143.00 in chips)
Seat 10: Button ($111.00 in chips)
ANTES/BLINDS
gnuffe posts blind ($0.50), BB x posts blind ($1).

PRE-FLOP
UTG bets $4, UTG+1 folds, Button calls $4, gnuffe bets $12, BB x calls $11.50, UTG calls $8.50, Button calls $8.50.

[5-handed QQ is worth a RR. Table is very loose and strange. I can't make up my mind if UTG is bad or really good.]

FLOP [board cards 6H,2S,3H ]
gnuffe bets $40, BB x calls $33 and is all-in, UTG calls $40, Button folds.

[Not a scary board. If someone caught their set, so be it. If anyone of them had had KK or AA they would have rrr preflop. I'm potting. Shortstack calls, but I'm a bit worried about UTG.]

TURN [board cards 6H,2S,3H,KC ]
gnuffe bets $40.40 and is all-in, UTG calls $40.40.

[Not a good card for me. I have so little left that I can at least put some pressure on UTG to fold, because I'm forced to call his bet, or?]


RIVER [board cards 6H,2S,3H,KC,8H ]

[Here I think I'm really screwed. Any king, heartflush, even some straight poss + sets]

SHOWDOWN
gnuffe shows [ QH,QC ]
BB x shows [ AC,6S ]
UTG shows [ JD,JC ]
gnuffe wins $241.80.

SUMMARY
Dealer: Button
Pot: $243.80 | Rake: $2
gnuffe bets $92.90, collects $241.80, net $148.90
BB x loses $45.50
UTG loses $92.90
UTG+1 loses $0
Button loses $12.50


Not sure if this was good or just too aggressive. I find this to be a leak, that I try to bet ppl of when I don't have much. It does work with small pots but not with large. I need to work on that aspect.


Loser:

Texas Hold'em $1-$2 NL (real money),

Seat 2: gnuffe [ AD,AC ] ($121.50 in chips)
Seat 4: BB ($72.10 in chips)
Seat 6: UTG ($169.30 in chips)
Seat 9: UTG+1 ($191.65 in chips) [same guy as the villian in the winner hand above)
Seat 10: Button ($75.50 in chips)
ANTES/BLINDS
gnuffe posts blind ($0.50), BB posts blind ($1).

PRE-FLOP
UTG bets $5, UTG+1 calls $5, Button folds, gnuffe bets $12, BB folds, UTG calls $7.50, UTG+1 bets $20, gnuffe bets $40, UTG folds, UTG+1 calls $27.50.

Should I just have shoved in instead of the $40?

FLOP [board cards 3D,AH,QD ]
gnuffe bets $40, UTG+1 bets $80, gnuffe calls $29 and is all-in.

Get my money in with the nuts.

TURN [board cards 3D,AH,QD,JC ]

[Meh]

RIVER [board cards 3D,AH,QD,JC,10S ]

[Bah]

SHOWDOWN
UTG+1 shows [ KD,AS ] <--- Why not?
gnuffe mucks cards [ AD,AC ]
UTG+1 wins $265.50.

SUMMARY
Dealer: Button
Pot: $267.50 | Rake: $2
gnuffe loses $121.50
BB loses $1
UTG loses $12.50
UTG+1 bets $132.50, collects $265.50, net $133
Button loses $0

Other than shoving it in pf I can't see how I should not lose my stack here. Variance.



Problem:

The problem is not a specific hand but the problem I'm having with the last five minutes of my sessions. I'm often losing heavily there, either due to lack of concentration, fatigue (esp in my insomnia-sessions]. Need to work on staying the distance.

I'm not too unpleased. $100 is easier and I think I'll stay here for a while.

Tuesday 25 april

Total hands:1043
Won amount: -38,97
BB/100: -3.73
VP$IP: 23.54
PFR: 8.02
WtSD: 18,97
W$SD: 42.12


Three sessions that didn't really produce any big hands. Got allin against some shortstack unnecessarily and

lost some.


Winner: More or less lucky.

Texas Hold'em $1-$2 NL (real money), hand #406,151,130
Table Cayenne, 25 Apr 2006 4:04 PM ET

Seat 1: UTG ($100.70 in chips)
Seat 4: UTG+1 ($80.00 in chips)
Seat 7: Button ($184.75 in chips)
Seat 8: SB ($65.20 in chips)
Seat 10: gnuffe [ 8C,10S ] ($97.40 in chips)
ANTES/BLINDS
SB posts blind ($0.50), gnuffe posts blind ($1), UTG+1 posts blind ($1).

PRE-FLOP
UTG folds, UTG+1 checks, Button folds, SB calls $0.50, gnuffe checks.

FLOP [board cards 10H,10D,4H ]
SB checks, gnuffe bets $3, UTG+1 calls $3, SB calls $3.

TURN [board cards 10H,10D,4H,9H ]
SB checks, gnuffe bets $8, UTG+1 calls $8, SB calls $8.

RIVER [board cards 10H,10D,4H,9H,3C ]
SB checks, gnuffe checks, UTG+1 bets $15, SB folds, gnuffe calls $15.

SHOWDOWN
UTG+1 shows [ 10C,7C ]
gnuffe shows [ 8C,10S ]
gnuffe wins $64.

SUMMARY
Dealer: Button
Pot: $66 | Rake: $2
UTG loses $0
UTG+1 loses $27
Button loses $0
SB loses $12
gnuffe bets $27, collects $64, net $37


Loser:

Not much to do. I think he had a set or maybe even quad 5s. I was beaten anyhow, I felt. Was good of me to be

able to fold it, I think.

Texas Hold'em $1-$2 NL (real money)


Seat 1: SB ($101.20 in chips)
Seat 7: BB ($153.75 in chips)
Seat 8: UTG ($66.20 in chips)
Seat 10: gnuffe [ AC,AD ] ($128.00 in chips)
ANTES/BLINDS
SB posts blind ($0.50), BB posts blind ($1).

PRE-FLOP
UTG folds, gnuffe bets $4, SB folds, BB calls $3.

FLOP [board cards 2S,5D,3D ]
BB checks, gnuffe bets $8, BB calls $8.

TURN [board cards 2S,5D,3D,9H ]
BB checks, gnuffe bets $20, BB calls $20.

RIVER [board cards 2S,5D,3D,9H,5H ]
BB bets $121.75 and is all-in, gnuffe folds.

SHOWDOWN
BB wins $185.25.

SUMMARY
Dealer: gnuffe
Pot: $186.25 | Rake: $1
SB loses $0.50
BB bets $153.75, collects $185.25, net $31.50
UTG loses $0
gnuffe loses $32


Problem:

My problem is what to do when I flop something. When you play 5-handed you get a lot of marginal hands and the way to win these small pots is to keep being aggressive when you have been raising preflop. The problem arises when you actually flop something good, like a set. How do one proceed? Bet as usual and hope that someone else has something? Doesn't seem to work, since this happens to seldom. If I don't bet and then show strength, it will not amount to much since it will smell like a monster to the opponent. Maybe less aggression preflop would do it?