If you made it through the first 3 posts, bless you.

I also write poker articles on various bits of strategy. The first part of a long one on continuation betting is currently up at a different site. Yes, I'm shamelessly plugging for myself, but I suppose it's okay in one's own journal.



Feel free to post any questions about it. I'm still puzzling over it myself.

Found time for an afternoon session at 10NL Bodog.
289 hands
$2.65
4.58 ptbb/100

So that was 3 winning sessions in a row and I moved up to 25NL this evening.
202 hands
$21.04
20.83 ptbb/100

So far so good. PS cash out should clear Monday or so. Tonight's session also cleared me of the Bodog deposit bonus, so I'll be playing at UB tomorrow and Sunday. I need to mentally prepare myself for the change in style. Going from the fish pond of Bodog to the rock garden of UB isn't what I prefer to do, but I do have a bonus there and no current bonus at Bodog. Hmm, I'll sleep on it.

Maintained my positive thinking tonight despite a couple unlucky hands. Quite a bit different playing like this, constantly guarding myself after a bad beat, but results are good and my play is good. There isn't much more I can ask for.

Noticed DanhDan's signature: "Deserve's got nothing to do with it." Right on, right on.

do you know if you can beat the rock gardens at UB for a good winrate? also, do you get rakeback there?

personally, i realized a long time ago that i was MUCH better off playing in fish ponds rather than rock gardens just for chasing a bonus. maybe it's just me, but it's something to think about.

My first reading, staat. Damn fine journal!!

JJ

NorthView, yeah I play FR pretty much exclusively atm. Word of warning, I do play other games than NL Hold'em. Right now, though, I'm on a streak, and as Crash Davis said to Nuke, "Don't f*ck with a streak; you never f*ck with a streak." or something close to that, so I'm playing NL Hold'em until something breaks.

Only managed a short session today. Little one's nap didn't last that long. Return to 50NL was a success, at any rate. I only played 2 tables, to keep my reads up.
153 hands
$35.01

Lost a big pot with KK. Posted here: forum/viewtopic.php?t=20128

Feel free to comment on it. Made up for it though, $70 with a set of fives. Short stack had QQ and pushed in on the flop (after miniraise preflop) when bet into on a 542 flop. I closed my eyes and pushed. The guy who lead the flop calls and has 44, tough hand for him.

Probably won't get much of a session in tomorrow, I plan on doing some actual work and I'm out of coffee so looks like I'll be at the coffee shop tomorrow morning.

Current Bankroll: $897

Streak continues: 2 winning sessions today. Kept it at just 2 tables both times.
Afternoon Session:
208 Hands
$35.05

Evening Session:
108 Hands
$35.45

Wasn't really feeling it prior to the evening session, but Mrs. G and I have a Monday evening ritual involving me playing poker, her working out on the Nordic Trak with Studio 60 on the TV. Almost didn't play, but decided to go ahead. Turned out pretty well. First big blind hands on both tables were BB specials (well sort of). One was top two pair (medium part), the other was just a gut shot that I bet got called and hit the turn, but guy folded to my river bet so another medium pot. Nothing spectacular at either table.

Had a break in my banishing of negative thoughts this afternoon. One limper, trappy player raises 4xbb and I just call OTB with QQ. First mistake; I should have raised. BB calls and limper calls. Flop comes KJx, limper bets the minimum and trappy raises small for pot size, I fold, BB folds, limper calls. They check it down each with AJo. Had I raised that hand, I think I would have come out with a sizable pot, they check, I c-bet and both call, then we check it down. Started beating myself up, then started beating them up. Did that for a few hands before I got control of myself. No losses or tilt or anything, just the negative thoughts I don't want. Back to where I want to be mentally afterward and this evening, though.

Crash Davis isn't around for me to ask if the streak requires me to step up in levels, but I hope not cause I'm gonna stay at 50NL until the bankroll is in proper shape.

I'm not happy with my play today, but still a winner.
Afternoon
150 hands
$16.90

Evening
187 hands
$46.15

It all started on the second hand this afternoon, several limpers, I'm in the BB with AKo and I raise it up and get 3 callers. Ragged flop and I pot it, one guy miniraises me and has $0.55 left in his stack, I call for no good reason and lose over half a buy in to his set. Whilst chastising myself I pick up QQ before I've had a chance to add chips (4th hand in the CO); folded to me and I raise 5xbb, BB who has a double stack pushes in and I call (what the hey, I only have 19 or so left). He has KK and I rebuy. Fortunately I build up to $55 and pick up AA utg, raise it get 2 callers and BB reraises. I decide she has a real hand and push, she calls with KK and I recoup my earlier stupid losses.

This evening I hit a set and doubled off a pair and flush draw on my turn push early in the session. I had built up to $116 but lost $29 on a silly hand with JJ. I rasie, get 2 callers and a flop of Q98. I stay in the hand calling and praying for a T, but only 3 of them left since other guy had the nuts. All I had to do there was c/r the flop and I could have gotten away from the hand. My read was that he had pair and draw, but I should have played it safe and folded. Would have saved myself $17 had I c/r the flop.

I'm not happy with my decisions today but winning made it easier to take and I avoided the pyschological meltdown at the table, so that is a small victory. I'm sticking to the plan of positive thinking and so far I'm doing pretty well at it.

Not sure if I'll be playing tomorrow with all the various festivities, so perhaps no post. In the meantime, Happy Thankgiving! Hope tomorrow is a nice day for all.