I know what ya mean. I had an AWESOME session a couple days ago. I had enough on my account for most of a buy-in to the 25nl 6 max, after taking my money out to help pay for something. Well, in about 2 hours I was up to 220, then started multi-tabling 50's (I like to ride my rush well ) By the end of the session, which was about 6 hours, I had nearly 700 bucks. Then I went out drinking.... Well, if you've ever played poker drunk, you don't need me to tell you that I'm flat broke now, haha!

I'm sure there was a point to this post... oh yea! The way I was playing yesterday made my A game look like trash. I don't pride myself on being able to read hands that well, but yesterday... I knew exactly when people were bluffing, every time. Players fell into my traps every time that I felt I should set them. The kick is, I didn't really even get many good hands. I managed to triple up my buy-in pretty early with a set of aces, but after that, about 90% of the money I had won was just me either making "inspirational" calls with middle pair, and coming over the top of all pot stealers. I don't think anybody but me stole a pot the whole time I was there :-p.

Anyways, great results TUP!

Showed up today ready to play some $2/$5 and there wasn't a game - had to go to $1/$2 which I wasn't mentally prepared to do and so it made for a short session. I don't want to play when I'm not into it but gave myself 2 hours to try and shake it - didn't happen so I left.

You retiring TUP? Or just taking a break?

I don't know if I won as much as you if I could just leave a table after 8 hours let alone 15. Does your ability to focus on everything wane after 5-8 hours of play? Which is more important...your mood or how bad the opponents are?

Danhdan,

Naw, I'm not retiring - although it looks like this post got retired.

My gf came up for a few days, I had meetings all day the next, a column whose deadline was creeping up on me and then got sick. But I'm up and at em again and on my way to work as we speak.

As far as focus goes... oddly enough, it goes something like this:
I hold steady usually for anything between 4-8 hours... then I start slipping although, if I'm playing against the same people I do ok because I tend to slip slower than they do. Years ago I used to play against people I knew were better than me because I knew they couldn't quit - and though I'd get stuck most days - about 12 hours into the session I'd start getting better then they were because they would slip past me in focus. By 24 hours they had no chance. For whatever reason after 24 hours (which I don't do anymore except on rare occasions) I figure I'm a favorite against anyone in the world. I know that sounds pompous as hell - but I have never went past 24 hours without getting in the zone - and that's a hell of a place to play from.

TUP, I removed the sticky attribute because there had not been any activity for a while.

I always was goint to re-instatie it when activity returned.

This is just general housekeeping. You know we love you.

Ok you had one losing session in over 25. My longest run was 18 days and simply the card at times do run dry. How are you avoiding this? Happy to see you are doing well.

odogg,

It's true that the cards do run dry at times. How I avoid losing when this happens is however, hard to quantify to a random questioner. The most simplistic answer is simply that I may see opportunities that you do not - although this is by no means conclusive. A very excellent article printed in the cardplayer some years ago put posited the idea that there might be 100 individual skills in poker (the number was arbitrary) - you may know 75 of them and I may know 75 of them. We may not share any of the 25 missing skills though - and so you see 25 holes in my game and I see 25 holes in your game - we walk away thinking that each of us is better than the other when we are in fact equally skilled. The reason that I bring this up is that I may see opportunities that you are missing which turns otherwise losing sessions into winners but of the 100 skills - it would be impossible for me to guess which one's they are without watching you play.

I am very very aggressive though... and this wins me alot of pots uncontested. I have no problem putting someone to a decision for all their chips - whether that be $20, $200 or $2000. I don't need to have anything when I make this bet - if I don't have anything - I just have to be relatively certain that they won't call. I read people at the table very well - it's one of my strongest skills and so I tend to be right about this quite often. If I were guessing - this would be the way I avoid losing sessions when the cards are cold while most others do not.

TUP

I also am primarily a limit player so bluffing isn't as possible or likely to work than in NL. Putting someone to a decision for their stack and a 10$ BB is a big difference.

I get the impression as well that you play primarily live. It actually pains me to sit in a casino when I can see 3 times as many hands at home.

Well thanks for the response that makes a lot of sense. Good luck!!

Definitely going to be wearing a hat and sunglasses if I ever find myself at your table. (Or would that even help?)

Any chance you'll be playing in any of the WSOP events this year? I'd love to see you in action sometime.

I keep looking at televised poker looking for the player wearing a brown paper bag over his/her head w/ two holes cut out. lol
Maybe Im just showing my age.

just signed up with the sight and wanted to post here saying I've been following along with this journal.

Very good read.

Hopefully when I come out to Vegas in May i'll beable to play with you and maybe get a few tips to improve my game.


G-luck,
grouchie