Thursday, July 16, 2009

Harsh Reality of Daylight

I am starting a series of posts that I took me a while to understand. I have had since I was a kid "The Harsh Reality of Daylight". The Harsh Reality of Daylight is the moment you realize that something you believed to be true was wrong, and the light of reality is shown on the situation.

Over several posts I will be listing these items and explaining my thoughts. I am sure many people will know this stuff, hell I even knew it, it just did not sink in properly.

Here is a list of items I will be talking about. Not in any particular order.

  • Poker is not fair
  • Position, Position, Position
  • Bankroll – stress
  • Ego-self
  • Ego-others
  • Why Playing too many hands is bad
  • Why Playing not enough hands is bad
  • Playing the player
  • What to bet to achieve the desired goal.
  • Off Table Work
  • Impairment and distractions
  • Remembering people do not give a shit.

I have touched on the subjects in the past. I wanted to put them all together.

Most of the items listed require a mindset change. The challenge, for me, it is way too easy to slide into old habits, even though they may not be the best for me and my game.
Posted by J. T. at 12:43 AM 0 comments

Monday, July 13, 2009

Hold on Their Boy!

A funny thing happened on my way to being a poker superstar. I started playing bed. When I moved up to $25 NL I started off like a house of fire and then cooled off.

I made several errors: I was way to passive, I chose challenging tables, and the bad luck that comes with that. After I dropped 4 buy in's, I have decided to play 1 table of $25 NL and 1 to 3 tables of $10NL. I am also trying to stick to my strict bank roll rules.

In my opinion my issue at $25NL, I have less buy in's and the money means more to me. (I could get felted 2.5 times in $10NL and it equals 1 buy at the new level). Over the last few weeks I have lost 4 buy ins in a day more then one time at $10NL, it just hurts more at the $25 NL.

So the short version is, I feel more comfortable pounding away at $10 NL then I do at $25. If I am unwilling to do this I need to limit my play at this level. (Just watch the hand below to see how bad I am played at times).

I will say I have had more success playing 1 table of $25 NL and 1 table of $10NL. As I rebuild my bankroll and I get to 30 or 40 buy in's at $25 NL, I will feel comfortable pounding again.

Passive play kills you in the long run.

Posted by J. T. at 9:22 PM 0 comments

Sunday, July 12, 2009

Here is how bad I am playing

Posted by J. T. at 4:40 PM 0 comments
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Thursday, July 9, 2009

I Need to Continue to Develop My Game

So after a few days of play at $25NL, I reverted back to losing play. Yes I got unlucky a couple of times that happens. Let's just say I did not play my best.

I need to be more diligent in the way I play. While $25NL is not $200 NL, the play is slightly better and a lot more aggressive the $10NL.

Here are areas that need improvement:

  • Raising pre-flop and calling 3bets to thin
    • Every time I was re-popped and the hand went to showdown, I was beat, even when I had folded.
  • Calling too much as opposed to raising (On all streets)
  • Forcing play as opposed to letting play come to you.
    • Players still play fit or fold (remember that)
    • Learn the players and then react accordingly.
  • Not thinking hands through before I act, (again with the Tommy Angelo) but he says you need to be prepared for of all possibilities when making a bet.
    • The cool thing is there are only three and two do not require thought.
      • Fold, no thought needed, the hands is over.
      • Call, no thought needed until the next street.
      • Raise, then you need to act, so when ever we bet we need to make sure that we have considered what we will do if we get raised.

I won big on some tables and lost big on others, what was the difference? The same things as always, hand selection, table image and aggression.

*As a side note, I am no longer allowing myself to have any anger or negativity when it comes to my life. Things happen, a few nights ago, I got felted by losing with KK to AA, I lost with KK to A7 (to a straight) however I felted others with AA vs KK, 44 vs 22 (we both flopped sets) and 86 suited vs AA when I flopped a straight. In short it all balances.
Posted by J. T. at 10:05 PM 1 comments

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Problem One: Playing a Loose players Out of Position

I have decided to talk about issues that I am experiencing as I play the micro levels. I will not write about these situations every time just as they come up.

Problem one is playing loose players out of position. Last night was a roller coaster night, I was up a buy in down ½ a buy in and I ended up $5.

I had tables that I won huge and tables I lost huge. Each table had one thing in common, they all had very loose players at them, by very loose I mean 50+ VPIP. The differences were where I was in relationship to this player. The tables I won at I was in position, or to say they had to act first. Tommy Angelo in his Deuces Cracked series states that having position was more important then being a better player.

I found myself very upset at a few tables. I am still working to get the emotion out of my game. I was upset because no matter what I did it was wrong. The loose player seemed to be hitting all his draws, while I missed mine. I went to bed last night pissed off about my bad luck on these tables, and how the donks were able draw out. My favorite motto in these times is "Everyone hits against me".

This morning I realized a few things, I play against these players all the time, I usually win, and when I win I am in position. I like to be the person that decides the size of the pot, not them. When I am OOP against they have control of the pot. They can raise, call or fold. In short when you are OOP you need to have a hand against the extremely loose players.

This may be fundamental to a lot of players, and I know all this, I just tend want to play against the fish and take there money. It just is too hard to do when you are playing against players that do not fold and you have to act first.

My solution… simple change tables or move seats if possible. It is easier to play OOP against tight players and steal or in position and value bet. The good thing is Stars has several games running at the same time, so it is always easy to find a better game.

Posted by J. T. at 12:01 AM 0 comments

Monday, July 6, 2009

Moving up and Life Changes

I decided to cut my 100K hands played at $10NL a little short. Well more then a little short. I stopped at exactly 30,000 hands. I won 35 buy ins at this level and was on pace to win over 85. So I moved to $25NL.

The short version is I stopped enjoying $10NL. So I tried $25NL. The play is not any better, just more money to win. I played a little over 500 hands and have done well so far.

My life changes are simple. I decided not to drink alcohol. Do I have a drinking problem? No! I am quitting for 2 reasons, I do not need the empty calories I am trying to lose weight get healthy, and drinking has the opposite effect. also I noticed the impact it has on my poker game.

I shipped Blaz my poker tracker graph and he asked why the dips every so often. I looked at them and I was playing and drinking when I lost. Its funny how quickly beer turns me from a winner to a loser.

I have made a commitment to myself to not drink while trying to lose weight, also once I have lost the weight I will not drink if I am playing cards.

Here is my final thought on the whole subject, if I cannot stop drinking in order to lose weight and get into better shape then I do have a drinking problem.

Posted by J. T. at 6:20 PM 0 comments
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Thursday, July 2, 2009

What’s on My IPod

I started listening to podcasts in the fall of 2006. Anybody can make a podcast, this does not make them good or make the hosts engaging.

There are a few really good shows, and a ton of really bad shows. So what makes a podcast good to me?

  1. The hosts must be having fun, and not be taking themselves too seriously.
  2. The hosts must know what they are talking about.
  3. The hosts have a personality.


     

Most of the shows are really bad. I was all set to talk about the bad shows, but changed my mind. Instead I am going to list the shows I have on my IPod. I have them grouped, in each group there is not order.

Top Tier Shows I listen to first:

  • Ante Up: the show goes up and down, it varies between great and mediocre. I am not sure many shows have done as much as they have. They started at 10 minutes in length and reviewing hands from TV shows, to starting a magazine, a tournament series and a legion of fans that has become the Ante Up Nation.
  • Poker Road Radio: Just pure fun, as pros report from tournaments, this is not a weekly show, it runs only when major tournaments take place.
  • Deuce Plays: This is Bart Hanson's, second version of the show, it was on poker roads web sight as Cash Plays. This maybe the best strategy show ever. You really need to play attention to what Bart and his guest are taking about. This show is for people who want to get better at poker. It is not really casual listening.
  • Two Plus Two Pokercast: Fun show the hosts know what they are talking about, but can get really long.
  • Cash Plays: Version 2 Jeremiah Smith does a pretty good job, the show started weak but has gotten better.
  • Poker Soup: This is a fun show that we (I am on this show). We play a tournament and talk about other shows and or interview people and generally give each other crap. We have had a few pros on the show, but I think we are at our best when it is just us or when we have a blogger on and we just talk and play, no real interview. This is a show that anyone can play with us and listen live. The hosts all met through the Ante Up show.

2nd Tier Only after top tier and HBPR

  • Mediocre Poker and Hardcore Poker Show: These shows are interchangeable. They are both ok shows that are on the radio.
  • Poker Beat: Interesting show, it talks about the poker news of the week.
  • Dennis Phillips Poker Show: This show is out of a St. Louis radio station, it is along the same lines of the Bernard Lee show. Funny thing is it has just been added to the Rounder's Radio Show line up.
  • Bernard Lee Poker Show: Based out of Boston it is a weekly show that does a good interviews of poker players.


 

A class all its own

  • Hard Boiled Poker Radio: This is Short Stack Shamus' show, where he plays old radio shows that have poker as a part of the storyline. This show is not for everyone, but I find it enjoyable.


 

The other Rounder's Radio shows are not worth listening to.

Posted by J. T. at 12:02 AM 0 comments
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