As I said in my last post PT tells me that I am terrible at 1$ so I hit a 50 cent table for a full buy in and loose that while quadrupling up my short stack buy in at 1$.....
Again today, I sit for $20 at 1$ make a nice call with an AK miss (I had him on AQ, turns out he had AJ miss) to double up my first time... then Christmas comes early on this hand:
http://www.pokerhand.org/?1125280
I think I played it right pre flop and on the flop, when I get called I know I am done with the hand... then a gift of a turn card comes :)
So I need to make a decision do I stay where I "feel" I am ready to play, or do I listen to PT (about 6000 hands loaded only right now) and drop down. I am beyond bankroll management advice at this point so I KNOW I should not be at 1$
Session up $73 more than making up for the two days down, and I hit my bonus which comes much quicker at this level. So that's another $100.00 almost time to pay back Slurpee Dude at this rate.
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Another Day...
So here I am with my continuation from last nights session. In hind sight I think I was taking my tight game plan too far. I did not find a lag that I could surprise and likely therefore finished down. Today I am going to try to open it up a bit.
1$ short handed, short stack buy in of 20$
Early on a bunch of AK and AQ misses runs me through my first buy in short order. Shortly after this hand comes up:
http://www.pokerhand.org/?1122824
If I had to guess the first 20$ spent on AK and AQ continuation bets paid me back when I had a big pair and he had to call me with any touch.
Just playing one table right now, my LAG left pretty quick after I sat down but the table seems timid. Good opportunity to try a much more dangerous, aggressive short stacked game. Note that too many friends that watch me play short handed are looking for aggression that you can not get away with. Things like "You have AJ he raised you up you only have $20 left push" This is not going to get me very far playing short stacked. If I wanted to play the LAG I would take a full buy in (at lower limit due to my bankroll).
Enjoying it so far, nice to feel the aggression back in the game (as opposed to last night). But this taking concentration. You have to pick the right player at the table to fold to a short stack. I have my target, I have my game plan... let's roll.
Half hour in the session is at 5$ positive. Enjoyed some check raises and letting myself get caught with weaker holdings. Just starting to get guys to push back at me a bit. In my opinion I am up huge already if I have been able to develop a loose image and make 5$ doing it. Time to tighten down a bit and take advantage of the tables irritation... lol just had an image of the grain of sand in an oyster irritating and growing into the big pay day. I can taste it...
... and my trips on flop (that I slow played so I deserved it) bust by gutter on the river. Kept it reasonably cheap now $17 down
Fighting the urge to start to feel like I am running bad over the last few hours logged...
Well... this isn't running bad I guess...
http://www.pokerhand.org/?1124059
But this crap every third hand is.. And this is three handed too. sick small pots like this are turning my stomach:
http://www.pokerhand.org/?1124086
So with hands like that happening at my 50 cent table about every millisecond or so I am down to 8$ from my buy of $50 at the 50 cent.. and at my 1$ table ($20 buy in) is now at $110...
And this finishes off my stack at the 50 cent I hit two pair and ....
http://www.pokerhand.org/?1124098 I thought I was going down to levels I can afford lol
Okay where am I here, time to get my bearings: Looks like I am up almost even including yesterdays session. If I can get even between both of these rough sessions, I will call that a win and head to bed for sure.
Well I am closing down for the night (two days in a row now) a total between the two sessions of about $40 or two buy ins of $20. I re-installed poker tracker during this session and pulled up this months results. It is a blow to my ego but I have to admit that as you might expect I am way up at 25 and 50 cent but way down at $1 over all. Maybe I need to give up on my $1 dreams for a while... man that sucks
1$ short handed, short stack buy in of 20$
Early on a bunch of AK and AQ misses runs me through my first buy in short order. Shortly after this hand comes up:
http://www.pokerhand.org/?1122824
If I had to guess the first 20$ spent on AK and AQ continuation bets paid me back when I had a big pair and he had to call me with any touch.
Just playing one table right now, my LAG left pretty quick after I sat down but the table seems timid. Good opportunity to try a much more dangerous, aggressive short stacked game. Note that too many friends that watch me play short handed are looking for aggression that you can not get away with. Things like "You have AJ he raised you up you only have $20 left push" This is not going to get me very far playing short stacked. If I wanted to play the LAG I would take a full buy in (at lower limit due to my bankroll).
Enjoying it so far, nice to feel the aggression back in the game (as opposed to last night). But this taking concentration. You have to pick the right player at the table to fold to a short stack. I have my target, I have my game plan... let's roll.
Half hour in the session is at 5$ positive. Enjoyed some check raises and letting myself get caught with weaker holdings. Just starting to get guys to push back at me a bit. In my opinion I am up huge already if I have been able to develop a loose image and make 5$ doing it. Time to tighten down a bit and take advantage of the tables irritation... lol just had an image of the grain of sand in an oyster irritating and growing into the big pay day. I can taste it...
... and my trips on flop (that I slow played so I deserved it) bust by gutter on the river. Kept it reasonably cheap now $17 down
About an hour of up and down thank goodness for bonuses or it would seem I am wasting my time here.... still 17 down. Was up for a short while as one table ran perfect for me against my LAG of choice:
http://www.pokerhand.org/?1124008
I call that one pocket fives dot com. I had him on a King but since he couldn't call my last re-raise apparently he had nothing... again
Fighting the urge to start to feel like I am running bad over the last few hours logged...
Well... this isn't running bad I guess...
http://www.pokerhand.org/?1124059
But this crap every third hand is.. And this is three handed too. sick small pots like this are turning my stomach:
http://www.pokerhand.org/?1124086
So with hands like that happening at my 50 cent table about every millisecond or so I am down to 8$ from my buy of $50 at the 50 cent.. and at my 1$ table ($20 buy in) is now at $110...
And this finishes off my stack at the 50 cent I hit two pair and ....
http://www.pokerhand.org/?1124098 I thought I was going down to levels I can afford lol
Okay where am I here, time to get my bearings: Looks like I am up almost even including yesterdays session. If I can get even between both of these rough sessions, I will call that a win and head to bed for sure.
Well I am closing down for the night (two days in a row now) a total between the two sessions of about $40 or two buy ins of $20. I re-installed poker tracker during this session and pulled up this months results. It is a blow to my ego but I have to admit that as you might expect I am way up at 25 and 50 cent but way down at $1 over all. Maybe I need to give up on my $1 dreams for a while... man that sucks
Monday, May 21, 2007
I am going to try to write this post as I play. Therefore the discussion of my play will come chronologically
So my session starts out just as ugly as the last one left off. I decide to draw to a flush that I miss against a short stack timid player costing me 14$ then I get the bad beat (three outer) here costing me a triple up
My AQ vs his AJ
http://www.pokerhand.org/?1119707
Then A5 BB small stack all in every hand pushes with 99 into an A high flop... I dont like it but I call correctly... turn 9...
The action is strangely hot so I should stay at these tables according to Sklansky. My Sklansky dollars are way up already here. I am sure things will have to turn around.
My turn for a break - money in bad though oops: My 88 vs his AJ
http://www.pokerhand.org/?1119771
Some small hand recovery now only down $35 trying to keep cool and patient. Not the best time for poker I will admit the kids seem to want some attention so I might need to put this off for a bit.
called a couple of pocket pairs to try to hit a set back down to $41 down
20 min later card dead $38 down.
After a short break, kids are in bed and three rapid fire hands later.. down to only $20 down then loose a table with two pair to a guy who calls pot for his gutter.. hands like that are why people think it's rigged lol - he even hit it twice turn and river... $65 down... then double up the other table back to where I started $46 down
Flop Quads ... cant even get 1$ call on the river... Currently $40 down
30 min later a couple of smaller pot tough calls to the good. The action has cooled somewhat but I am now only down about $25.
Pocket AA vs a small stack... one player I am watching grind up nice opened the pot and then got out of the way quick when I only called the small stack all in. I was hoping for a call to push on flop. Currently down about $18
Down to $30 again from blinds and some heads up play as a table fell apart. Starting to think that I may be outclassed at the table that I managed to pull positive from negative 65$. I am going to continue my session at a couple of new tables.
Changed tables... slim pickins, tables are all winding down for the night... now down $31
Luck does not seem to be changing I lost the new table for another 20$ but was able to double up and then some at a 50c sh table... so I am going to bed about 35$ down. Going to pick up this thread tomorrow I think this session gave me all it had... can't say I made a lot of mistakes but I may have been outclassed at one of the tables keeping me from picking up any loose pots.
-- Felter
So my session starts out just as ugly as the last one left off. I decide to draw to a flush that I miss against a short stack timid player costing me 14$ then I get the bad beat (three outer) here costing me a triple up
My AQ vs his AJ
http://www.pokerhand.org/?1119707
Then A5 BB small stack all in every hand pushes with 99 into an A high flop... I dont like it but I call correctly... turn 9...
The action is strangely hot so I should stay at these tables according to Sklansky. My Sklansky dollars are way up already here. I am sure things will have to turn around.
My turn for a break - money in bad though oops: My 88 vs his AJ
http://www.pokerhand.org/?1119771
Some small hand recovery now only down $35 trying to keep cool and patient. Not the best time for poker I will admit the kids seem to want some attention so I might need to put this off for a bit.
called a couple of pocket pairs to try to hit a set back down to $41 down
20 min later card dead $38 down.
After a short break, kids are in bed and three rapid fire hands later.. down to only $20 down then loose a table with two pair to a guy who calls pot for his gutter.. hands like that are why people think it's rigged lol - he even hit it twice turn and river... $65 down... then double up the other table back to where I started $46 down
Flop Quads ... cant even get 1$ call on the river... Currently $40 down
30 min later a couple of smaller pot tough calls to the good. The action has cooled somewhat but I am now only down about $25.
Pocket AA vs a small stack... one player I am watching grind up nice opened the pot and then got out of the way quick when I only called the small stack all in. I was hoping for a call to push on flop. Currently down about $18
Down to $30 again from blinds and some heads up play as a table fell apart. Starting to think that I may be outclassed at the table that I managed to pull positive from negative 65$. I am going to continue my session at a couple of new tables.
Changed tables... slim pickins, tables are all winding down for the night... now down $31
Luck does not seem to be changing I lost the new table for another 20$ but was able to double up and then some at a 50c sh table... so I am going to bed about 35$ down. Going to pick up this thread tomorrow I think this session gave me all it had... can't say I made a lot of mistakes but I may have been outclassed at one of the tables keeping me from picking up any loose pots.
-- Felter
Ahhhh that ... felt .... gooood
Really nice session tonight. Felt like I was in just the right mental state as the session swung wildly back and forth and I kept my cool.
I bought into two 1$ tables short handed for 20$ at each table as has been my M.O. lately. I tend to try to find a LAG to pick on as they seem to have trouble playing short stacks. I am able to play standard poker, attacking pots I should play with aggression, all as normal but I need to be hyper sensitive to re-raises and pushing back. For example early pos I raise AQ 3.5 times blind. Button raises to 8$ I fold. While this may seem extremely tight (and I agree) it is what I feel right now that you need to do to play a short stack. In short you need to be very careful not to get yourself pot committed on a draw or a fairly weak holding. That is certainly a disadvantage of the short stack buy in.
However the advantage is that you can practice building a very aggressive game at higher limits where I Feel I deserve to play, but don't have the bankroll for. If you have chosen a table with the average LAG you can play straight out on your good hands. It really takes an above average skilled player to not look at your last 12$ and put you all in no matter what they have. So play aggressively when you do have a hand or are leading the aggression pre-flop. Be ready to change gears quickly when pushed back.
I Play standard against all other players but modify my play for my LAG. I like to give them the impression that I am intimidated by them by making a couple of small bets that when they smack down the re-raise I easily let the hand go. I avoid trying to draw out against a LAG if at all possible. Generally they will make it too pricy and not give you odds, and often the LAG is a skilled enough player to know you hit your draw and not pay you off another dollar for it. I Use my big pairs and or two pair flops against my LAG, getting all my chips in the middle on the turn if at all possible.
I may have mentioned this before but the short handed game has really allowed me to work on my playing the player rather than the cards. In a full ring game it takes too long for me to see the same move from the same player more than twice. While at short handed very quickly I have some good notes on everyone at the table and pretty much know how I am going to proceed.
So to my session tonight. I am really pleased with my play. I am closing it at $100 up again but that is not what is so pleasing. Three times during the session I was able to claw myself to the 100$ + mark only to loose the table while getting my money in good on a solid play where the cards fell against me. Therefore the third run at it was from 40$ down. (I wasn't set up to post the interesting hands. I will remember to do that next time again.)
I didn't loose my cool, or change my game plan when they hit me hard, I simply wished them a nice hand and got back to work. Had one or both of those bigger hands gone my way I would be up two or three hundred. At all times I felt in control and kept myself out of trouble when it was possible.
So far I am having swings that are to be expected trying out a new game. I am getting more comfortable at short handed every day, and the short stack is a neat game to learn as well. I will try to post a more complete game plan as soon as I can but this is enough for now.
As I am closing this off another sick hand has just biten me in the butt, so I guess I am closing only $80 up. Take a look at this sick mess; this is the same kind of hand that happened now four times tonight to keep me from being a few hundred up.
http://www.pokerhand.org/?1117281
All good baby, all good
-- Felter
I bought into two 1$ tables short handed for 20$ at each table as has been my M.O. lately. I tend to try to find a LAG to pick on as they seem to have trouble playing short stacks. I am able to play standard poker, attacking pots I should play with aggression, all as normal but I need to be hyper sensitive to re-raises and pushing back. For example early pos I raise AQ 3.5 times blind. Button raises to 8$ I fold. While this may seem extremely tight (and I agree) it is what I feel right now that you need to do to play a short stack. In short you need to be very careful not to get yourself pot committed on a draw or a fairly weak holding. That is certainly a disadvantage of the short stack buy in.
However the advantage is that you can practice building a very aggressive game at higher limits where I Feel I deserve to play, but don't have the bankroll for. If you have chosen a table with the average LAG you can play straight out on your good hands. It really takes an above average skilled player to not look at your last 12$ and put you all in no matter what they have. So play aggressively when you do have a hand or are leading the aggression pre-flop. Be ready to change gears quickly when pushed back.
I Play standard against all other players but modify my play for my LAG. I like to give them the impression that I am intimidated by them by making a couple of small bets that when they smack down the re-raise I easily let the hand go. I avoid trying to draw out against a LAG if at all possible. Generally they will make it too pricy and not give you odds, and often the LAG is a skilled enough player to know you hit your draw and not pay you off another dollar for it. I Use my big pairs and or two pair flops against my LAG, getting all my chips in the middle on the turn if at all possible.
I may have mentioned this before but the short handed game has really allowed me to work on my playing the player rather than the cards. In a full ring game it takes too long for me to see the same move from the same player more than twice. While at short handed very quickly I have some good notes on everyone at the table and pretty much know how I am going to proceed.
So to my session tonight. I am really pleased with my play. I am closing it at $100 up again but that is not what is so pleasing. Three times during the session I was able to claw myself to the 100$ + mark only to loose the table while getting my money in good on a solid play where the cards fell against me. Therefore the third run at it was from 40$ down. (I wasn't set up to post the interesting hands. I will remember to do that next time again.)
I didn't loose my cool, or change my game plan when they hit me hard, I simply wished them a nice hand and got back to work. Had one or both of those bigger hands gone my way I would be up two or three hundred. At all times I felt in control and kept myself out of trouble when it was possible.
So far I am having swings that are to be expected trying out a new game. I am getting more comfortable at short handed every day, and the short stack is a neat game to learn as well. I will try to post a more complete game plan as soon as I can but this is enough for now.
As I am closing this off another sick hand has just biten me in the butt, so I guess I am closing only $80 up. Take a look at this sick mess; this is the same kind of hand that happened now four times tonight to keep me from being a few hundred up.
http://www.pokerhand.org/?1117281
All good baby, all good
-- Felter
Out at the lake
Brief session out at the lake with the boys - lots of flats should not have been playing. Down two 20$ short stack 1$ table buy ins. The lesson, have fun at the lake and leave the poker to the pros ;)
Thursday, May 17, 2007
Brief Session
Had a short but satisfying session tonight. I selected a table with a maniac (actually I pretty sure a faciac as I saw some nice tight folds when his agression got push back) and then exploited him. I took down some real nice big pots with 66 and later with 88 against him (wthout improving). Played some nice poker, tripled up my short stack buy in and banked it. Some days you do everything right.
Opened another short stack buy in, and doubled it up as well... I am falling asleep between hands so off to bed. Up $100 for the night.
Opened another short stack buy in, and doubled it up as well... I am falling asleep between hands so off to bed. Up $100 for the night.
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Frustrating but normal session....
so I sit down with 20$, run it to $73 and then somehow walk away with $11. Pretty sure it was just poor play though, so no one to blame but me. I was running well and as they say, it's easier to loose it than win it.
Ended the night with a sit and go and won that so there is some solace that I can call the session positive in total at least. When we got down to heads up I really liked the way I played. He was not agressive enough which made it easier, but I did my job and forced him to get lucky when we had all the chips in. For example when I was pounding on him he knew he had little choice but to call for all his chips on a flush draw which he hit and prolonged the match. I flopped two pair 9 and 3 and he had JJ all the chips go in and the board pairs sevens on the river for him. Then I would grind back the chip lead until eventually his luck ran out.
So pretty happy with that, but the other 50 bucks I left out there tonight doesn't feel good at all.
Ended the night with a sit and go and won that so there is some solace that I can call the session positive in total at least. When we got down to heads up I really liked the way I played. He was not agressive enough which made it easier, but I did my job and forced him to get lucky when we had all the chips in. For example when I was pounding on him he knew he had little choice but to call for all his chips on a flush draw which he hit and prolonged the match. I flopped two pair 9 and 3 and he had JJ all the chips go in and the board pairs sevens on the river for him. Then I would grind back the chip lead until eventually his luck ran out.
So pretty happy with that, but the other 50 bucks I left out there tonight doesn't feel good at all.
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