Well well, the tide is turning, I've finally decided to take my poker more seriously. I figured a journal like this could help me stay focused and also force me to swallow my pride and post a hand now and then.

Some bakground: I've played online poker for about a year now with decent results, but nothing near what I could have showed down had I been less of a moron. I play mostly SHLHE with the occasional longhanded or even Omaha game. The limits I play have varied greatly more depending on my economy then my skill, I started out at 0.5/1 and have logged quite a few hands at all levels up to 5/10 and a few session higher than that too. It has been one big rollercoaster, up hundreds of bucks one week after playing brilliant poker only to come home drunk and blow it all away. Never again! I've always admired those who has a scientific approach to the game, correcting flaws with Poker Tracker, discussing hands etc. Worrying about the process, not the outcome. That's what I intend to do from now on, and by God I'm gonna make it.

The main focus in this journal will be shorthanded limit hold 'em, starting out at 1/2 and hopefully moving up from there. Of course, keeping myself on track isn't the only reason I'm starting this journal. This forum has some great SHL players(Mecos, and that other guy I can't remember right now), it would be great if you took the time to toss in a few comments every once in a while.

Until then...

Played a short session on Prima today, just an hour or so. Really sucks I had to go, the table was good, the poker Gods were smiling to me, and there was this entertaining idiot at the table to chat with when I was bored. Anyways, some interesting hands came up.

** Game ID 638843968 starting - 2006-01-07 17:31:33
** Tell Me Why [Hold 'em] (1.00|2.00 Fixed Limit - Cash Game) Real Money

- kekas sitting in seat 1 with $79.75 [Dealer]
- dc111 sitting in seat 2 with $205.50
- Streydog sitting in seat 3 with $144.45
- Fryke sitting in seat 4 with $74.00
- Gloryowl sitting in seat 5 with $15.13
- OyvindG sitting in seat 6 with $68.75

dc111 posted the small blind - $0.50
Streydog posted the big blind - $1.00
** Dealing card to OyvindG: King of Spades, King of Clubs
Fryke folded
Gloryowl folded
OyvindG raised - $2.00
kekas called - $2.00
dc111 folded
Streydog called - $2.00

** Dealing the flop: 5 of Hearts, 3 of Hearts, Queen of Diamonds
Streydog bet - $1.00
OyvindG raised - $2.00
kekas folded
Streydog called - $2.00

** Dealing the turn: 4 of Diamonds
Streydog checked
OyvindG bet - $2.00
Streydog called - $2.00

** Dealing the river: 2 of Clubs
Streydog checked
OyvindG checked
OyvindG shows: King of Spades, King of Clubs
Streydog mucks:
OyvindG wins $14.00 from the main pot

End of game 638843968

Pretty basic really, I felt that making any moves at this table was wasted as it was filled with loose passives. Good place to be when i caught some cards. Obviously the question is whether I should have bet the river. I felt that too many of the hands he could have called along with contained the ace, AQ or any A-rag that caught middle pair actually. Of course the six could be there as well. On the contrary, trying a river checkraise with a card that scary would be stupid even for this guy. Any thoughts?

Another one:

** Game ID 638839071 starting - 2006-01-07 17:26:51
** Tell Me Why [Hold 'em] (1.00|2.00 Fixed Limit - Cash Game) Real Money

- kekas sitting in seat 1 with $83.25
- dc111 sitting in seat 2 with $200.00
- E_Monkey sitting in seat 3 with $93.50 [Sitting out]
- Fryke sitting in seat 4 with $77.50 [Dealer]
- Gloryowl sitting in seat 5 with $27.88
- OyvindG sitting in seat 6 with $54.00

Gloryowl posted the small blind - $0.50
OyvindG posted the big blind - $1.00
** Dealing card to OyvindG: 10 of Diamonds, Queen of Spades
kekas raised - $2.00
dc111 folded
Fryke called - $2.00
Gloryowl called - $2.00
OyvindG called - $2.00

** Dealing the flop: 7 of Diamonds, 5 of Hearts, 10 of Spades
Gloryowl bet - $1.00
OyvindG raised - $2.00
kekas folded
Fryke called - $2.00
Gloryowl called - $2.00

** Dealing the turn: 3 of Hearts
Gloryowl checked
OyvindG checked
Fryke bet - $2.00
Gloryowl called - $2.00
OyvindG called - $2.00

** Dealing the river: 6 of Clubs
Gloryowl bet - $2.00
OyvindG called - $2.00
Fryke called - $2.00
Gloryowl shows: Jack of Clubs, 10 of Clubs
OyvindG shows: 10 of Diamonds, Queen of Spades
Fryke mucks: 10 of Hearts, Jack of Hearts
OyvindG wins $24.75 from the main pot

End of game 638839071

I'm not at all hapyy with the way I played this. I do want to justify staying in with the fact that I had reads that matched the situation pretty good. Any pair was always good enough to stay in the pot for these two and middle + normally got raise regardless of opponents. I still feel I should have played it more aggresively. Some advice on all streets here are extremely appreciated!

Well, off to work, or party, pick the one you prefer... Later

God dammit!!! No, this isn't a bad beat whine, it's the exactly opposite. I've never seen something like this! I sat down at a 3/6 6max at Stars and by God am I glad the table I intended to join filled up... On my right there is this guy with $157 in chips, when I leave some 40 hands later he has $23 and my net for this session? Yeah, almost right, $131 just about all of them his.

I wont post any more hand historys before I figure out how to make them look like everyone else does. Can't you put HH from PT into the converter? I still want to tell you about one hand though... He open limped in the CO with J6o, called my button AQs raise and we are heads up. Flop [2h][2d] I bet, he calls, turn is the , I bet, he calls!!! without a single overcard, River is a blank, but now he decided it's time to punish my bluff so he bets out. First hand with him so I call in fear of a weirdly played monster, buy hey... How 'bout that eh?

Looking forward too the $36 satelite for the saturday 500kG, I love that tourney! The satelite, that is. The big one leaves me with a sore feeling somewhere better left unmentioned... Anyone else here who plays the satelites for T$?

Now, if someone else makes a post in this journal before my next entry, I wont be mad... Telling me about that damn converter would for instance be a really nice gesture...

So long!

I play Stars as well, but I get a message saying that the format isn't supported... Weird.

Edit: Don't know why, but now it works