Cheers Monk,

I was trying to be modest. Do you still want a lock of my hair for your shrine to me?

Well the Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away...

I did earn off my bonus of $200 at Party today. So in the spirit of making this journal more interesting Party decided to kick me in the balls.

$3/$6

Hands: 739
Amount Won: -$192
BB/100: -4.33

It would have been a lot lot worse but in one of those freaky poker coincidence things I broke my blinding off rule and played A3s as we had a few in (and I had lost so much what was another $3). Then this wierd hand the occured.

Party Poker 3/6 Hold'em (10 handed)

Preflop: Hero is CO with , .
UTG calls, 3 folds, MP2 calls, 1 fold, Hero calls, Button raises, SB calls, 1 fold, UTG calls, MP2 calls, Hero calls.

Flop: (11 SB) , , (5 players)
SB checks, UTG checks, MP2 checks, Hero checks, Button checks.

Turn: (5.50 BB) (5 players)
SB checks, UTG bets, MP2 folds, Hero calls, Button folds.

River: (7.50 BB) (3 players)
UTG bets, Hero raises, UTG 3-bets, Hero caps, UTG calls.

Final Pot: 15.50 BB

SB has 5s 6h (one pair, sixes).
UTG has Th Qs (straight, king high).
Hero has 3s As (flush, ace high).
Outcome: Hero wins 15.50 BB.

If someone bets the flop I am out of it. Maybe someone was saying sorry? I did make a point of taking a few second before my raise on the river, maybe 10 seconds to make him think I was really pondering it. I think that helped induce the reraise, thank god.

Looking over the main stats for this session I like to try to figure what went wrong. I still maintain one of the hardest things to deal with in poker is to lose like this and it just be cold cards, bad luck or shit happening. I would much rather know I played like a muppet, because at least then there are things I can do and change.

Right, lets break things down:

Total hands: 739
VP$IP: 9.20 (this is an indicator I had a cold night, I would rather see this at 11-12%, maybe 15% if it a hot night)
Went To SD: 26.80%
Won $ At SD: 38.46% (this definately tells me I had a bad one, I should be at least 50%)

My aggression looks like this:

PF: 0.82 (this is little higher for me, normally it might be 0.6 as I am raising with more hands)
F: 2.47
T: 4.14
R: 1.67

Total: 1.56 (this is little low for me, normally its over 2)

This is the shape I have been aiming for. Previously I was having almost an escalation to the river but I am trying to make me river bets value ones. The fact its a little low for me tells me I didn't have a lot to get excited about.

Lets look at the hands? I don't normally like putting hands on this but I guess I want to open this up and let you guys tell me how weak tight I am.

Biggest loser: T9s once.

Party Poker 3/6 Hold'em (10 handed)

Preflop: Hero is CO with , .
2 folds, UTG+2 calls, 3 folds, Hero calls, 1 fold, SB completes, BB checks.

Flop: (4 SB) , , (4 players)
SB bets, BB calls, UTG+2 folds, Hero raises, SB 3-bets, BB folds, Hero calls.

Turn: (5.50 BB) (2 players)
SB bets, Hero calls.

River: (7.50 BB) (2 players)
SB bets, Hero calls.

Final Pot: 9.50 BB

SB has Ts As (straight, ace high).
Hero has Tc 9c (straight, king high).
Outcome: SB wins 9.50 BB.

I don't really see a way to drop this and I backed off when I saw danger, especially with the board pairing. While he reraised me on the flop I figure at the time there are a few possible hands, and with AT he might have waited since my raise would imply I was not drawing to the flush.

Okay, here is a hand that really narked me. I think I did the right thing based on what I knew but on reflection it felt weak. My read on this was the button player was seemed good, if not exceptional. He played few hands but I didn't have a lot on him as he hadn't really been involved in a lot. The SB was a total fish and I wasn't too worried about him, I had him firmly on king with weak kicker (and I was correct).

Party Poker 3/6 Hold'em (9 handed)

Preflop: Hero is MP1 with , .
1 fold, UTG+1 calls, Hero calls, 3 folds, Button calls, SB completes, BB checks.

Flop: (5 SB) , , (5 players)
SB checks, BB checks, UTG+1 bets, Hero raises, Button calls, SB calls, BB folds, UTG+1 calls.

Turn: (6.50 BB) (4 players)
SB checks, UTG+1 checks, Hero bets, Button raises, SB calls, UTG+1 folds, Hero folds.

River: (11.50 BB) (2 players)
SB checks, Button bets, SB calls.

Final Pot: 13.50 BB

SB has Th Kc (two pair, kings and sixes).
Button has Kh Js (two pair, kings and sixes).
Outcome: Button wins 13.50 BB.

What threw me was my flop raise. I am playing this as I have the best hand and I am defending against a flush chaser. So given that I am screaming out I got a good king hand what could he raise me with? Since I am sure he would have raised with AK in his position I had to think either 2 pair or a set, especially after cold calling my flop raise. I figure its going to cost another $6 to see the river, and I am drawing dead to a set then another $6 to show down. I figure I must be out gunned here, thoughts?

Going through the rest of the hands, I came off worse in a few full bloodied hands against maniacs, I only run into them when they have really good hands. I also split quite a few good pots which sucked.

Here is one for the "Party is rigged" club:

Party Poker 3/6 Hold'em (8 handed)

Preflop: Hero is BB with , .
6 folds, SB completes, Hero checks.

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

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

River: (6 BB) (2 players)
SB checks, Hero checks.

Final Pot: 6 BB

Hero has Jc 8d (two pair, jacks and eights).
SB has Js 8s (two pair, jacks and eights).
Outcome: SB wins 3 BB. Hero wins 3 BB.

About sums up my night. Well I am going to leave you guys to ponder those. All feedback taken in the spirit it was intended.

Rich

Just finished playing off the missus Party bonus.

I hate $0.50/$1 and have no clue how I stuck it. I figure I will share a few gems with you guys. This was on my last orbit too, keeping to my AA or KK rule, though god knows why?

Party Poker 0.5/1 Hold'em (10 handed)

Preflop: Hero is MP1 with , .
UTG calls, 1 fold, UTG+2 calls, Hero raises, MP2 calls, 1 fold, Retard 3-bets, 3 folds, UTG calls, UTG+2 calls, Hero caps, MP2 calls, Retard calls, UTG calls, UTG+2 calls.

Flop: (21.50 SB) , , (5 players)
UTG checks, UTG+2 checks, Hero bets, MP2 calls, Retard calls, UTG calls, UTG+2 calls.

Turn: (13.25 BB) (5 players)
UTG checks, UTG+2 checks, Hero bets, MP2 calls, Retard raises, UTG folds, UTG+2 calls, Hero 3-bets, MP2 calls, Retard calls, UTG+2 calls.

This player was a total nugget so I was loath to credit it him with either AA or JJ. Sadly my read was perfect, rather too sadly.



River: (25.25 BB) (4 players)
UTG+2 bets, Hero raises, MP2 folds, Retard calls, UTG+2 calls $0.75 (All-In).

Final Pot: 31 BB

UTG+2 has 4h 4s (two pair, sixes and fours).
Hero has Ks Kd (two pair, kings and sixes).
Retard has Qd 6d (three of a kind, sixes).
Outcome: Retard wins 31 BB.

After this hand I did ask the guy if his Dad worked for Party?

This was again against a total retard, and again I knew it so I was loath to credit any hands to him.

Party Poker 0.5/1 Hold'em (8 handed)

Preflop: Hero is MP1 with , .
2 folds, Hero raises, Total Retard calls, CO calls, 1 fold, SB calls, 1 fold.

Flop: (9 SB) , , (4 players)
SB checks, Hero bets, Total Retard raises, CO folds, SB folds, Hero 3-bets, Total Retard calls.

Turn: (7.50 BB) (2 players)
Hero bets, Total Retard raises, Hero calls.

River: (11.50 BB) (2 players)
Hero checks, Total Retard bets, Hero calls.

Final Pot: 13.50 BB

Hero has Ks Kd (two pair, kings and queens).
Total Retard has 7s Qh (three of a kind, queens).
Outcome: Total Retard wins 13.50 BB.

I figured he prob had queens but he could have had anything. I am not even sure he was watching the game as he seems to raise, call and fold almost randomly. Maybe someone's Bot had broken?

Well I am going to eat some food then get a couple of hours on sensible $3/$6 (I am so going to get screwed tonight now aren't I?)

Rich

Hey Rich,

I know people will probably scream at me for saying this but you should probably fold KQo in that position. Sure Pokerroom has 100000000000000000000000 hands that says it is profitable from EP and perhaps so but for me that baby hits the shit can preflop from EP. Having played it though I would have called the button down and be prepared to look at a set. AK he raises preflop probably and I can't see him with two pair if he is a SOLID player. He certainly played it like a set although I might have very well three bet the flop with a set with the two flush out there.

The 109s hand as well. You have no volume for this hand and even with position I think it should hit the muck without some good reason to play it and I can't think of any off hand.

The J8 hand I think you should have bet the river. It wouldn't have made any difference but I can't think of any hand that the SB has that beats you at this point that he would not have reraised you on the turn.

For what it's worth here are my Agression factor numbers: Preflop: 1.26, Flop: 2.78, Turn: 2.67 River: 1.65
VIP% at 36 limit: 11.36 Preflop raise%: 7.68
Not entering alot of pots but when I do it is generally with a raise In fact the only hands that I generally ever consider limping with are small pocket pairs after several people have entered.

That 4+ turn agression seems very high and your preflop a tad bit low.

Well hopefully good things to come this week. Good luck.

Thanks for the comments Piers.

I have been messing with some hands and maybe need to tighten it up. As I mentioned I have been playing some hands according to SSH which does advocate hands like KQo and T9s LP. I am messing with this as I agree with KQo, barring a straight or 2 pair you are always going to feel vunerable and I think it will hit the muck from now on EP.

I think I have seen improving my game in terms of playing more hands for profit and maybe I need to go back to how I played $0.50/$1. Super tight and aggressive. I think I am trying to get away with limping on too many hands, especially LP. I also think I might be becoming a little gun shy. This is a tough one to detect in my play but I think my mindset has not been good and it must creep through to my play, I seem to be on the back foot more than the front. I am not sure why I am so high in the turn, I guess its because I often lead maybe. I will look into this.

Right, today was a tale of two sessions almost. I played some $3/$6 and got prob the coldest and harshed deck ever, result was a big loss. Well normally I would have quit as I could see poker hated me today but I needed the hands following my bunk on Saturday. So I decided to go back to the place that always picks me up, but with extra bling, I started on the $100NL.

Results:

$3/$6

Hands: 251
Amount Won: -$177.50
BB/100: -11.79

$100NL

Hands: 136
Amount Won: $51.30
BB/100: 18.86

Total:

Hands: 387
Amount Won: -$126.20
BB/100: -1.02

The $3/$6 session was just one of those where everything hated me. I was folding left right and centre, all my good hands seemed to come in crappy positions and with even crappier flops. After the $0.50/$1 stuff I should have seen this coming, well correction I did see it coming so I was actually cool with it.

I decided I could rack the hand up as quick on NL and figured I might has well try the $100NL as it was on Party so that should discount a lot of the toughness. I did make a nice profit though that doesn't tell half the story, I managed to double through a guy with a set then instantly lose a $200 stack with AK off going down to KQ, 2 pair vs top pair. He was a wanker.

I am hacked off with limit. This happened to me before when I got fecked off with $1/$2 and found playing NL brought my game back to its sharpness. I hope so as I am really getting pissed off with this continued pissing away of my money. I seem to win one day then lose 3 days. I think there are lots of tweakings I need to do with my game and I am undergoing that now but not the extent that I seem to losing now. I also know that cards can kick you in the groin. I think I just need a change, if only to get back my focus and to make the old brain cells work again. I feel at the moment that as soon as I lose a pot on $3/$6 I get that "here we go again" feeling.

I think my NL game it pretty hard core. I like to bet and raise, raise and bet. I think I need to learn some of the finesse of the game, especially in terms of things like betting amounts. I do have my instant reverse gear so I will play hard when I have it, but get out quick. I am playing still tight barely loosening from my limit game. I know I can play things like small to mid PPs based on implied odds but I am not too keen on mid suited connectors. I will learn though and it will fun trying this out.

Any advice please post.

Cheers

Rich

I have made a decision today. Its not a life changing one but since this all about my "poker life" it is significant. I have been thinking about whats been going on and how I feel about things right now. I have decided need a break from poker so once I finish my whoring run tonight I am going quit playing till the weekend, maybe even later.

While my losing streak has been far from gigantic with some nice mini wins to off set the damage. I guess it more my time frame that makes me want to take this time. I just do not have positive expectations when I sit down to play right now. Its a question of how much I lose, not how much I will win which is not a good way to be. I do think I have become gun shy in certain situations, and I have over played other situations.

I intend to take stock of things, I have gone from $1/$2 to $3/$6 in just three months. This has meant I have been making adjustments and I worry I have lost my way. I have been playing more hands (though far from loose) and having read Piers's insights I think less is definatley more. I intend to read SS2 and SSH during my time off, consider it a study break.

Well I got 100 odd hands to do tonight, back to the $100NL since I have to say I like it. I will post results later so thanks for reading and thanks for all the advice.

Rich

Hi all,

Well I have decided to take about 10 days off poker. I did finish the bonus whoring and lost about $60 in an uneventful $100NL session. Truth is I played it and really really didn't want to play. I guess I am feeling a bit beat after the kickings I have taken and while I know I haven't really lost a lot I am not feeling good about playing.

I figure while this is my frame of mind by taking a break I am potentially saving a small fortune. The whole deal about not playing if you haven't got your A-game is ringing in my ears right now. Also thinking about it, I have been playing a lot since I basically started money play. Well I think a little time to take stock is on order. I have made so much progress since the start of the year, going from $1/$2 to $3/$6 in three months. I should feel a good about that. Well I deserve a break then!

I do still intend to play the monkeyathon that is the BTP tournament. So go easy on me!

Rich