Well that is that for tonight...
I didn't play the last $5.50 tournament at 9.45pm but otherwise all other 7 tournaments were completed, albeit relatively unsuccessfully!
I got two min cashes, they were the only success story, coming in the $5.50 on Bwin and an equivalent on DTD. Otherwise it was a £40 loss for tonight across the both sites.
I don't intend to moan and give anyone a list of endless beats but I have taken positives from the fact that I did run incredibly bad in the main so with a lot of volume I hope to be able to see some more fortunate results.
However, I took notes on each tournament and the mistakes I felt I made, as well as talking over certain hands with Jon if I felt I had difficulties with them or wanted a second opinion. I certainly could have played better in certain hands but genuinely for a first night back in the game I was fairly happy with the way I played.
Although, I did tilt for a period, which I was surprised at myself for given I had gotten over this really. Sure after some serious volume all will be well.
Not sure when the next session will be, possibly Thursday, as I have work tomorrow night and on Fri/Sat so it may make sense to get a session in on Thurs. Plus, uni gets busier next week :(
Still have an issue with financing it, I want to be able to put in a consistent amount of volume but tonights session was £60 (net deposit), which even one session per week would work out at £240 per month, which isn't exactly sustainable without a substantial ROI. However, one factor that I am taking out of tonight is my inability to effectively multi-table. Its either a case of setting aside a good 6-8 hours in an evening and starting up 4 early on and playing the later tournaments, hopefully not overlapping too much, or just trimming down the number per night (the more likely). If this is the case I will obviously be buying in for a little less but that also means less volume...aghhhhh!
I will crunch some figures and have a look at things tomorrow because realistically with work, uni and a social life I could only put in 2 nights a week anyway.. If I can trim it down to £40 per session and play the lesser buy-ins then maybe I can hammer it out for 4-6 weeks and pray that I get a score to roll myself! Failing that then its going to be a temporary thing again.. :( Obviously not the right way to go about it but my options are pretty limited. To be discussed and ultimately continued..
Tuesday 6 October 2009
Schedule etc
Ok, well all this came about last week really, after a combination of chatting to Jon, organising the uni poker society games and starting uni generally again, which has many a poker memory! Further, I am now working part-time so have uber spare time for a change!
Anyway, sat down at my laptop on Saturday, nothing to do so booted up Stars. I have categorically ruled out cash games due to boredom and lack of volume basically plus other little issues. So, with the $20 or something I had on Stars I entered 2x $4.40 180mans. I came 3rd for an $85 score in one and bubbled another. Hey presto, motivation is back! On Monday I entered 4x $2.20 180mans, busted twice and came 8th and 10th in 2 others respectively, albeit for a measly cash.
I have a lot of leaks in my MTT game but can identify a lot of them and am prepared to improve in those areas, more so than putting in cash game volume. However, I recognise that the quality on Stars is better, the tournaments have larger fields etc etc. So I intend to stick to European sites, Boss/OnGame networks, upon the recommendation of Jon (actually quite impressed with Bwin).
Anyway, sort of having an issue with long term finance and roll issues really but here is my schedule for tonight. Will discuss other issues at a later date and analyse tonights turn of events.
Bwin:
6.15pm : $2.25 $1800 GTD
8.15pm : $22 $4000 GTD
8.30pm : $11 $4500 GTD
9pm : $5.50 $6000 GTD
DTD:
7.35pm : €3.30 €1000 GTD
8pm : €6.60
8.35pm : €11 €3500 GTD
9.45pm : €5.50 €1000 GTD
Lets see how we go! GL
Anyway, sat down at my laptop on Saturday, nothing to do so booted up Stars. I have categorically ruled out cash games due to boredom and lack of volume basically plus other little issues. So, with the $20 or something I had on Stars I entered 2x $4.40 180mans. I came 3rd for an $85 score in one and bubbled another. Hey presto, motivation is back! On Monday I entered 4x $2.20 180mans, busted twice and came 8th and 10th in 2 others respectively, albeit for a measly cash.
I have a lot of leaks in my MTT game but can identify a lot of them and am prepared to improve in those areas, more so than putting in cash game volume. However, I recognise that the quality on Stars is better, the tournaments have larger fields etc etc. So I intend to stick to European sites, Boss/OnGame networks, upon the recommendation of Jon (actually quite impressed with Bwin).
Anyway, sort of having an issue with long term finance and roll issues really but here is my schedule for tonight. Will discuss other issues at a later date and analyse tonights turn of events.
Bwin:
6.15pm : $2.25 $1800 GTD
8.15pm : $22 $4000 GTD
8.30pm : $11 $4500 GTD
9pm : $5.50 $6000 GTD
DTD:
7.35pm : €3.30 €1000 GTD
8pm : €6.60
8.35pm : €11 €3500 GTD
9.45pm : €5.50 €1000 GTD
Lets see how we go! GL
Rekindling the Romance
Well, I lasted ten or twelve weeks out the game. That was a really productive and really enjoyable ten or twelve weeks, its also a period in which I earnt a substantial amount of money and want to utilise that to add to the stock pile of cash I have, rather than spank it on trips or degen weekends.
I won't lie, I missed the game or aspects of it and I was both jealous and happy when Jon announced his staking deal. I took that to one side and thought a lot about it over the past few days-peer pressure meant I thought more about it! 1) I have always considered the Vic and taking shots to be the answer-its not, although I do hope to go back there more regularly soon, just when the money comes in! 2) In terms of hobbies and interests, I have and do less and less these days compared with school years gone by. Poker is the only really thing that I do outside of uni, productively anyway, otherwise its countless nights out etc, which as fun as they are, dont keep the mind working etc. I enjoy the skill and intellect involved in poker just as much as the social aspect.
So, coupled with the fact that I have much more spare time than I initially anticipated and the mrs is constantly out doing shit, I will pick the game up again! However, I intend to MTT grind where possible and leave the cash games for live play. MTTs are the only aspect to online poker I enjoy and they also offer the occasional big score as well as the facility to remain disciplined.
I will explain a little more in my next post after completing schedule 1 for tonight but basically, I will be posting again!
I won't lie, I missed the game or aspects of it and I was both jealous and happy when Jon announced his staking deal. I took that to one side and thought a lot about it over the past few days-peer pressure meant I thought more about it! 1) I have always considered the Vic and taking shots to be the answer-its not, although I do hope to go back there more regularly soon, just when the money comes in! 2) In terms of hobbies and interests, I have and do less and less these days compared with school years gone by. Poker is the only really thing that I do outside of uni, productively anyway, otherwise its countless nights out etc, which as fun as they are, dont keep the mind working etc. I enjoy the skill and intellect involved in poker just as much as the social aspect.
So, coupled with the fact that I have much more spare time than I initially anticipated and the mrs is constantly out doing shit, I will pick the game up again! However, I intend to MTT grind where possible and leave the cash games for live play. MTTs are the only aspect to online poker I enjoy and they also offer the occasional big score as well as the facility to remain disciplined.
I will explain a little more in my next post after completing schedule 1 for tonight but basically, I will be posting again!
Friday 14 August 2009
The End.
Warning: this could be a long post as I try to unravel my thoughts on poker and bring this blog/era of my life to an end.
I am no longer going to kid myself into believing that I enjoy grinding online and even enjoy playing online poker. The best moments I have had from playing online have either been winning large sums of money or losing large sums of money with Jon cos its comical to degens..
Grinding would not endure either of those, in theory. I can't win large sums of money quickly, I can't lose money. I played poker to earn myself some "pocket money" to do other things with. I have never been one of those kids that sits behind a tv on games consoles all their lives, it doesn't excite me one bit. Online poker demonstrates a similar trait, sitting behind a screen. I can only focus on it for an hour or so at a time and then I get bored, no interaction, no nothing.
I have now started working at Sports Bar and its immense, love every minute of it. Being behind the bar interacting with the customers, engaging in banter with them. With 15 50' HD Sony TVs, working during the football season will be immense and enduring the banter that comes along. I knew 60% of the staff already but get on with the others I have met already. Been working 5pm-close every night, earning about a tenner in tips, then having a few free drinks after work and catching the bus back with people. Plus I earn £200 a week exc tips. What more can you want? £200 pays my expenses per week and gives me money left over, I have a damn good time doing it. Poker? Would I earn £200 a week putting in the same hours...flat out no. Not online via grinding. I would have to risk my own money to do that, when at the moment its not really the best time for me to being doing that. Online poker is more boring, stressful and outright dull, imo. No interaction, nothing.
For the first time in my life I can hand on heart say I respect what an old mate, Dawesy, has done. He has done a lot of things wrong but I reckon he has a pretty sweet life in Notts, now I intend to do the same in London.
I am not going to be any dramatic, pointless promises that I can't keep. I will NEVER grind online again but I am going to keep Stars and only Stars on my laptop..I will set a deposit limit on it and if I fancy playing a tournament one night, I might. But I will set the limit to about $30 a month or something tedious.
I will still play live though and depending how I am feeling tomorrow night, may well go and play. Hopefully I won't have to many late shifts next week and I can hit the Vic. Got £250 in £50s sitting infront of me, needs to grow!
But yeh, thats that as far as I am concerned. Was fun while it lasted but it aint reality.. The people I am mates with in London who play, have pretty much stopped playing online and did so some time ago. They recognise that it aint fun and its easier to make money on the live scene and far more entertaining. I am livng with my girlfriend and pretty serious about our relationship. Lot of uncertainty around our future given different locations and stuff but we want to try and make it work but if push comes to shove and it doesnt work out then I at least want to be safe in the knowledge that I made the very most of it and had an amazing 3 years with her. I won't do that by playing bloody poker every night. The group of friends I have here are also a great bunch and poker isn't everything. For some strange reason I anticipate the forthcoming academic year to be a better one by making this decision..
And who knows what will happen with Newport etc cos everything is gradually breaking apart. Will be interesting to watch.
We shall see. The End.
I am no longer going to kid myself into believing that I enjoy grinding online and even enjoy playing online poker. The best moments I have had from playing online have either been winning large sums of money or losing large sums of money with Jon cos its comical to degens..
Grinding would not endure either of those, in theory. I can't win large sums of money quickly, I can't lose money. I played poker to earn myself some "pocket money" to do other things with. I have never been one of those kids that sits behind a tv on games consoles all their lives, it doesn't excite me one bit. Online poker demonstrates a similar trait, sitting behind a screen. I can only focus on it for an hour or so at a time and then I get bored, no interaction, no nothing.
I have now started working at Sports Bar and its immense, love every minute of it. Being behind the bar interacting with the customers, engaging in banter with them. With 15 50' HD Sony TVs, working during the football season will be immense and enduring the banter that comes along. I knew 60% of the staff already but get on with the others I have met already. Been working 5pm-close every night, earning about a tenner in tips, then having a few free drinks after work and catching the bus back with people. Plus I earn £200 a week exc tips. What more can you want? £200 pays my expenses per week and gives me money left over, I have a damn good time doing it. Poker? Would I earn £200 a week putting in the same hours...flat out no. Not online via grinding. I would have to risk my own money to do that, when at the moment its not really the best time for me to being doing that. Online poker is more boring, stressful and outright dull, imo. No interaction, nothing.
For the first time in my life I can hand on heart say I respect what an old mate, Dawesy, has done. He has done a lot of things wrong but I reckon he has a pretty sweet life in Notts, now I intend to do the same in London.
I am not going to be any dramatic, pointless promises that I can't keep. I will NEVER grind online again but I am going to keep Stars and only Stars on my laptop..I will set a deposit limit on it and if I fancy playing a tournament one night, I might. But I will set the limit to about $30 a month or something tedious.
I will still play live though and depending how I am feeling tomorrow night, may well go and play. Hopefully I won't have to many late shifts next week and I can hit the Vic. Got £250 in £50s sitting infront of me, needs to grow!
But yeh, thats that as far as I am concerned. Was fun while it lasted but it aint reality.. The people I am mates with in London who play, have pretty much stopped playing online and did so some time ago. They recognise that it aint fun and its easier to make money on the live scene and far more entertaining. I am livng with my girlfriend and pretty serious about our relationship. Lot of uncertainty around our future given different locations and stuff but we want to try and make it work but if push comes to shove and it doesnt work out then I at least want to be safe in the knowledge that I made the very most of it and had an amazing 3 years with her. I won't do that by playing bloody poker every night. The group of friends I have here are also a great bunch and poker isn't everything. For some strange reason I anticipate the forthcoming academic year to be a better one by making this decision..
And who knows what will happen with Newport etc cos everything is gradually breaking apart. Will be interesting to watch.
We shall see. The End.
Thursday 23 July 2009
Staked!
Well I left my flat last night with the intention of going to the Vic but never actually got there. Ended up having a sick night with some existing mates I bumped into and a whole bunch of new people. Was an awesome night and managed to throw in the fact it was my birthday a couple of days ago, which warranted celebrating. When the first shot hits the back of my throat at 6pm you know its gonna be a long night!!
In the mix were a few poker buddies and before getting too drunk we discussed a few things, as one of them was last years poker soc. VP. I am now taking the reigns off him so quite pleased with that, gives me something to do. He has also decided to increase his stake in me from £50 to £150 and one other guy has staked me £100. This is all good news as the fear of going bust isn't as daunting so I can play with more confidence. So I now have a live poker roll of £400 sitting infront of me, pretty sick!! Obv there are conditions to it but on a basic level they are taking 33% of my weekly profit, insisting that I play a minimum of 3 times a week and either leave with £100 profit or get up after 4 hours, which ever happens sooner. I pay back half their stakes at the end of August and the other half at the start of uni.
As a result of this, and other factors, I withdrew $140 from Stars this morning and am not re-depositing for a long time. To earn the same amount online as I do per hour in the Vic I'd have to be playing some serious stakes, which I cannot afford to roll myself for. Until such time as I am able to pump some serious money into Stars I am not going to be happy or content with spending hours of my life for $20-40 profit days. The bottom line is I play poker for the money!
I am also going into the bar in a couple of hours to find out if I have the job..if thats positive then its even better because the Vic is about a 10min walk from the bar and a bunch of people from work play there. Last time I took Tom there he walked with a £360 profit so can't imagine it will be too hard to convince him :P
So depending on shift patterns I intend to go there straight from work and grind it out for a couple of hours, utilise the faith a couple of mates have showed in me....lets hope I earn you guys some money now!!
In the mix were a few poker buddies and before getting too drunk we discussed a few things, as one of them was last years poker soc. VP. I am now taking the reigns off him so quite pleased with that, gives me something to do. He has also decided to increase his stake in me from £50 to £150 and one other guy has staked me £100. This is all good news as the fear of going bust isn't as daunting so I can play with more confidence. So I now have a live poker roll of £400 sitting infront of me, pretty sick!! Obv there are conditions to it but on a basic level they are taking 33% of my weekly profit, insisting that I play a minimum of 3 times a week and either leave with £100 profit or get up after 4 hours, which ever happens sooner. I pay back half their stakes at the end of August and the other half at the start of uni.
As a result of this, and other factors, I withdrew $140 from Stars this morning and am not re-depositing for a long time. To earn the same amount online as I do per hour in the Vic I'd have to be playing some serious stakes, which I cannot afford to roll myself for. Until such time as I am able to pump some serious money into Stars I am not going to be happy or content with spending hours of my life for $20-40 profit days. The bottom line is I play poker for the money!
I am also going into the bar in a couple of hours to find out if I have the job..if thats positive then its even better because the Vic is about a 10min walk from the bar and a bunch of people from work play there. Last time I took Tom there he walked with a £360 profit so can't imagine it will be too hard to convince him :P
So depending on shift patterns I intend to go there straight from work and grind it out for a couple of hours, utilise the faith a couple of mates have showed in me....lets hope I earn you guys some money now!!
Wednesday 22 July 2009
Crap
Just had my first session in a while and it was awful, diabolical.
There was an element of run bad and then just some hideous play by me off the back of it. I must have had JJ about 11 times and won twice.
Don't think I was really in the right frame of mind so got off prematurely. My inability to hit a flop just led to me making stupid calls and wild check raises etc. Restricted the losses to about $15!
Having spent a lot more time playing live recently I just don't seem to enjoy online and when I do, its only when I am winning. Theoretically this probably isn't a winning mentality. If I only enjoy playing when I am winning, online, then I am likely to have a pretty torrid time of it. Granted we can't all expect to win every session but the majority of players probably still take an element of enjoyment from a losing session, even if its in the form of analysing hands after. I don't do that at and certainly don't intend to at micro stakes.
Not too arsed about this now given I am withdrawing today or tomorrow but I may well give it some thought over the next couple of weeks. Time may be better spent in the Vic, where even if its looking like I am leaving home with nothing, I still enjoy the games.
There was an element of run bad and then just some hideous play by me off the back of it. I must have had JJ about 11 times and won twice.
Don't think I was really in the right frame of mind so got off prematurely. My inability to hit a flop just led to me making stupid calls and wild check raises etc. Restricted the losses to about $15!
Having spent a lot more time playing live recently I just don't seem to enjoy online and when I do, its only when I am winning. Theoretically this probably isn't a winning mentality. If I only enjoy playing when I am winning, online, then I am likely to have a pretty torrid time of it. Granted we can't all expect to win every session but the majority of players probably still take an element of enjoyment from a losing session, even if its in the form of analysing hands after. I don't do that at and certainly don't intend to at micro stakes.
Not too arsed about this now given I am withdrawing today or tomorrow but I may well give it some thought over the next couple of weeks. Time may be better spent in the Vic, where even if its looking like I am leaving home with nothing, I still enjoy the games.
Run Goot!
Firstly, nice work Jon for not only actually putting in the volume and getting back in the game but also eradicating tilt problems from your game. Was certainly your biggest leak and its well and truly plugged! Congrats...
Dedication and commitment goes a long way, just hope you keep it up throughout the summer.
My summer has also had a huge turn-a-round in the last few days. I took the gamble and decided to quit work, with the intention of going to Bulgaria, depending on my financial circumstances at the end of the week. Well, one of my qualms with the last job was the anti-social environment, the bullshit, the hours, the pretentious Cambridge graduates etc etc etc. Well, it would appear I have now landed a job in my mates' Dad's bar in West London. We go there quite a bit and its a pretty sick, swanky little place. Will have it confirmed tomorrow but yeh...looking good!!
Its about the same pay as I was on, its a much nicer working environment, I can work whilst studying come Sept, I am working with a good mate, I know most of the people that work there anyway. SICK!
Really really happy about that, not just for the reasons above but also cos my parents will definately ease up on going abroad..they will feel more comfortable knowing I can come back to a job.
This also benefits poker obviously, as I am able to continue to separate the money, thus being able to play more freely.
I am grinding all day today and tomorrow but will hopefully get the chance to hit the Vic later this evening.
GL :D
Dedication and commitment goes a long way, just hope you keep it up throughout the summer.
My summer has also had a huge turn-a-round in the last few days. I took the gamble and decided to quit work, with the intention of going to Bulgaria, depending on my financial circumstances at the end of the week. Well, one of my qualms with the last job was the anti-social environment, the bullshit, the hours, the pretentious Cambridge graduates etc etc etc. Well, it would appear I have now landed a job in my mates' Dad's bar in West London. We go there quite a bit and its a pretty sick, swanky little place. Will have it confirmed tomorrow but yeh...looking good!!
Its about the same pay as I was on, its a much nicer working environment, I can work whilst studying come Sept, I am working with a good mate, I know most of the people that work there anyway. SICK!
Really really happy about that, not just for the reasons above but also cos my parents will definately ease up on going abroad..they will feel more comfortable knowing I can come back to a job.
This also benefits poker obviously, as I am able to continue to separate the money, thus being able to play more freely.
I am grinding all day today and tomorrow but will hopefully get the chance to hit the Vic later this evening.
GL :D
Tuesday 21 July 2009
Dry Spell
As you can probably tell by the lack of posts, I have played no poker whatsoever in the past week.
Had an absolute awesome week however, which is probably what kept me away!
Had 3 birthdays in a row at the start of last week, which were awesome, followed by my birthday weekend just gone, where a few surprises were revealed..
Eternally grateful for that, just what I needed and great fun!
I am also kind of unable to play much now I am back cos the mrs is off tomorrow and I won't see her for 10 weeks so she's quite insistent on being with me every second..damn it!
Whats more, it looks like I may head to Bulgaria for the best part of 3 weeks on Friday, can't really be arsed with the working grind here, life is too short. How many more opportunities am I gonna have similar to this summer? My parents are kind of in agreement so me and my old man might share the driving to Bulgaria, so so sick. Love it!
That also means a massive break from poker and entirely destroys my summer plans for the game! So, I intend to hit the Vic tomorrow night, one last time, hopefully take a nice profit away and then pay my live roll into the bank :( (loved having £50s rolling around my desk :P).
On Thursday I intend to grind the absolute shit out of 10nl all day and see if I can hit $200 online before also withdrawing that. Shall then have to pick up poker and reality upon my return!
Kind of frustrating, its been an odd summer I guess but really looking forward to things now, just hope I can get a job as soon as I come back, that way it sets me up again!
GL, will post again after ze Vic!
Had an absolute awesome week however, which is probably what kept me away!
Had 3 birthdays in a row at the start of last week, which were awesome, followed by my birthday weekend just gone, where a few surprises were revealed..
Eternally grateful for that, just what I needed and great fun!
I am also kind of unable to play much now I am back cos the mrs is off tomorrow and I won't see her for 10 weeks so she's quite insistent on being with me every second..damn it!
Whats more, it looks like I may head to Bulgaria for the best part of 3 weeks on Friday, can't really be arsed with the working grind here, life is too short. How many more opportunities am I gonna have similar to this summer? My parents are kind of in agreement so me and my old man might share the driving to Bulgaria, so so sick. Love it!
That also means a massive break from poker and entirely destroys my summer plans for the game! So, I intend to hit the Vic tomorrow night, one last time, hopefully take a nice profit away and then pay my live roll into the bank :( (loved having £50s rolling around my desk :P).
On Thursday I intend to grind the absolute shit out of 10nl all day and see if I can hit $200 online before also withdrawing that. Shall then have to pick up poker and reality upon my return!
Kind of frustrating, its been an odd summer I guess but really looking forward to things now, just hope I can get a job as soon as I come back, that way it sets me up again!
GL, will post again after ze Vic!
Tuesday 14 July 2009
:(
Going to have to return to work tomorrow..
They have been really good with my unreliability so I was honest with them this morning and told them what I was thinking, thought I owed them that at least. They were still positive (demonstrates how much faith they have in me!) and said return by the end of the week or not at all, which is fair enough.
I may as well return tomorrow as opposed to Friday/Monday, to earn some dollar.
I started thinking yesterday, after my largely uneventful day, that its all the same anyway. If I quit this job I just have to go through the whole interview process again, stress about getting a job, lose out on another week or two's wages and then get a job to do the same thing-earn money to pay the rent. If I quit and play poker full-time-its to earn money to pay the rent. I am therefore better off getting the job with the most pay and least hours, to earn MYSELF some money via poker in spare time. Well I have told work that I am only doing 9-5, not staying a minute over, so thats what I will start doing. I am also on a self-employed contract so I don't have to pay tax (yes I know I am a student but they deduct it anyway and the rebate wouldn't come in until the end of the fiscal year), I'm also exempt from paying NI, which at 11% of your salary hurts really.
Further, the mrs fucks off again on Weds, everyone else in London, that is around, is working, mates from back home will be working etc. So when I am coming back to an empty flat and all the rest of it, its boring anyway. May as well just maximise earning potential for a bit longer. Parents are going to Bulgaria for three weeks in a weeks time so its not like I could even go home really, its too much of a hassle.
So, I will slog it out until about the 10th August (when parents return), at which point I will have enough money to just live off for the rest of the summer. I will then go home soon after, to spend the majority of August there.
This neglects poker so I want/need to make the most of it here. If I leave at 5pm from work I can still play, so I shall go to the Vic on Tues/Thurs/Fri/Sat every week, unless other plans interfere. Will try and play online every other day though.
Still going to look for other jobs and if something better comes along then the plans may change again, but for now I think this is the only logical and sensible option.
GL
They have been really good with my unreliability so I was honest with them this morning and told them what I was thinking, thought I owed them that at least. They were still positive (demonstrates how much faith they have in me!) and said return by the end of the week or not at all, which is fair enough.
I may as well return tomorrow as opposed to Friday/Monday, to earn some dollar.
I started thinking yesterday, after my largely uneventful day, that its all the same anyway. If I quit this job I just have to go through the whole interview process again, stress about getting a job, lose out on another week or two's wages and then get a job to do the same thing-earn money to pay the rent. If I quit and play poker full-time-its to earn money to pay the rent. I am therefore better off getting the job with the most pay and least hours, to earn MYSELF some money via poker in spare time. Well I have told work that I am only doing 9-5, not staying a minute over, so thats what I will start doing. I am also on a self-employed contract so I don't have to pay tax (yes I know I am a student but they deduct it anyway and the rebate wouldn't come in until the end of the fiscal year), I'm also exempt from paying NI, which at 11% of your salary hurts really.
Further, the mrs fucks off again on Weds, everyone else in London, that is around, is working, mates from back home will be working etc. So when I am coming back to an empty flat and all the rest of it, its boring anyway. May as well just maximise earning potential for a bit longer. Parents are going to Bulgaria for three weeks in a weeks time so its not like I could even go home really, its too much of a hassle.
So, I will slog it out until about the 10th August (when parents return), at which point I will have enough money to just live off for the rest of the summer. I will then go home soon after, to spend the majority of August there.
This neglects poker so I want/need to make the most of it here. If I leave at 5pm from work I can still play, so I shall go to the Vic on Tues/Thurs/Fri/Sat every week, unless other plans interfere. Will try and play online every other day though.
Still going to look for other jobs and if something better comes along then the plans may change again, but for now I think this is the only logical and sensible option.
GL
Monday 13 July 2009
Aaaaa-Game!
So incredibly happy with the way I just played my second and final session of the day on 10nl.
I really really focused and played some good poker. I looked at every hand I was involved in and gave it thorough thought, focusing on opponents. Indeed, I have started to use the "notes" facility more and more, which came in particularly useful for this hand. The villain was on 3 of my 6 tables and I had some pretty solid reads on him, I felt:
PokerStars Game #30416274889: Hold'em No Limit ($0.05/$0.10) - 2009/07/13 18:14:08 WET [2009/07/13 13:14:08 ET]
Table 'Achernar VIII' 9-max Seat #8 is the button
Seat 1: Fafullon ($2.05 in chips)
Seat 2: ich_snej ($7.85 in chips)
Seat 4: Skarb25 ($5.05 in chips)
Seat 5: AlexRoux ($10 in chips)
Seat 6: Breesy1 ($9.40 in chips)
Seat 7: OberChiller ($5.70 in chips)
Seat 8: schakal5280 ($9.90 in chips)
Seat 9: jj2608 ($1.65 in chips)
jj2608: posts small blind $0.05
Fafullon: posts big blind $0.10
chiefrosi: sits out
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to Breesy1 [8c 7c]
ich_snej: folds
Skarb25: folds
AlexRoux: raises $0.30 to $0.40
Breesy1: calls $0.40
OberChiller: folds
schakal5280: folds
jj2608: folds
Fafullon: folds
*** FLOP *** [3c Qc 3d]
AlexRoux: bets $0.50
Breesy1: raises $0.70 to $1.20
AlexRoux: calls $0.70
*** TURN *** [3c Qc 3d] [Th]
AlexRoux: checks
Breesy1: bets $2.30
AlexRoux: calls $2.30
*** RIVER *** [3c Qc 3d Th] [Qs]
AlexRoux: checks
Breesy1: bets $5.50 and is all-in
AlexRoux: folds
Uncalled bet ($5.50) returned to Breesy1
Breesy1 collected $7.60 from pot
Breesy1: shows [8c 7c] (two pair, Queens and Threes)
I was really happy with the way I played that. Further, I made a couple of epic value bets by over-betting the pot. Something that seems to confuse the crap out of people at this stake, so will bear that in mind. On two occasions two short stacks made similar moves and I called them off with an underpair and won. Was generally extremely pleased with the way I played.
I also think 6-tabling is my optimum. I earnt $17 in my hour this morning and I just earnt $21 in my hour just now. Seems to me that I can focus more keenly on 6 tables, make notes and play the opponent better.
Roll is now up to the $150 mark, I said I would withdraw but I may well leave it a bit, things are going well so why rock the boat.
Will post again later on my decision(s) regarding work, effectively gone full circle though. GL!
I really really focused and played some good poker. I looked at every hand I was involved in and gave it thorough thought, focusing on opponents. Indeed, I have started to use the "notes" facility more and more, which came in particularly useful for this hand. The villain was on 3 of my 6 tables and I had some pretty solid reads on him, I felt:
PokerStars Game #30416274889: Hold'em No Limit ($0.05/$0.10) - 2009/07/13 18:14:08 WET [2009/07/13 13:14:08 ET]
Table 'Achernar VIII' 9-max Seat #8 is the button
Seat 1: Fafullon ($2.05 in chips)
Seat 2: ich_snej ($7.85 in chips)
Seat 4: Skarb25 ($5.05 in chips)
Seat 5: AlexRoux ($10 in chips)
Seat 6: Breesy1 ($9.40 in chips)
Seat 7: OberChiller ($5.70 in chips)
Seat 8: schakal5280 ($9.90 in chips)
Seat 9: jj2608 ($1.65 in chips)
jj2608: posts small blind $0.05
Fafullon: posts big blind $0.10
chiefrosi: sits out
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to Breesy1 [8c 7c]
ich_snej: folds
Skarb25: folds
AlexRoux: raises $0.30 to $0.40
Breesy1: calls $0.40
OberChiller: folds
schakal5280: folds
jj2608: folds
Fafullon: folds
*** FLOP *** [3c Qc 3d]
AlexRoux: bets $0.50
Breesy1: raises $0.70 to $1.20
AlexRoux: calls $0.70
*** TURN *** [3c Qc 3d] [Th]
AlexRoux: checks
Breesy1: bets $2.30
AlexRoux: calls $2.30
*** RIVER *** [3c Qc 3d Th] [Qs]
AlexRoux: checks
Breesy1: bets $5.50 and is all-in
AlexRoux: folds
Uncalled bet ($5.50) returned to Breesy1
Breesy1 collected $7.60 from pot
Breesy1: shows [8c 7c] (two pair, Queens and Threes)
I was really happy with the way I played that. Further, I made a couple of epic value bets by over-betting the pot. Something that seems to confuse the crap out of people at this stake, so will bear that in mind. On two occasions two short stacks made similar moves and I called them off with an underpair and won. Was generally extremely pleased with the way I played.
I also think 6-tabling is my optimum. I earnt $17 in my hour this morning and I just earnt $21 in my hour just now. Seems to me that I can focus more keenly on 6 tables, make notes and play the opponent better.
Roll is now up to the $150 mark, I said I would withdraw but I may well leave it a bit, things are going well so why rock the boat.
Will post again later on my decision(s) regarding work, effectively gone full circle though. GL!
One Time!
I was up half the night contemplating whether to go to work, and I woke up still contemplating. I had a long chat with 2 people and both gave similar sort of responses, albeit disgruntingly at 8am! Eventually, against my better judgement, I put a suit on and commenced my journey to work. Then I got to the tube station, looked up and there it was, staring me in the face...the reason why I turned round and went home. 30/40/50 people descending on Bow Road tube station and not one, not one of them looked happy. I am NOT starting the grind now, im barely out of nappies. I have the rest of my life to worry about that.
My aim at the start of this summer was too add some weight to my CV (check-I got the job, its now on CV, never going anywhere, plenty of ways to skin a cat, goal 2-to have £1000 sitting in current account, to have £500 sitting in savings, to have a poker roll of about £500, to have part-time work guaranteed heading in to the new academic year. Nowhere in my list of goals were there t+c's saying "you must do whatever it takes to achieve these, its a life or death situation and this summer is crucial to the remaining 60 years of your life".
In a nutshell, fuck it. I intend to enjoy my summer AND achieve those goals, today was the beginning of that, hopefully.
However, I'm making myself sound more baller than I actually am. In reality, I am giving myself today and possibly tomorrow to make the decisions and prepare to take the gamble. I think I can get today off work without getting the boot. So if by the end of the day little changes, I may just turn up for work tomorrow with a tail between my legs, as my quest is defeated before I leave the port... I haven't quit right now, so as to leave myself a back-up plan. Just got to pray they don't email back something along the lines of "don't worry, we can't cope with the unrealiability". I also CANNOT let my parents find out, they know I intend to quit but I said mid-August, work till then and then I am sweet financially.
My basic pay breaks down to £6.25 per hour. I earn more than that per hour at the Vic and I am sure I can earn as much as that online. However, you obviously need a pain threshold with poker due to variance, something I don't have right now, unless I utilise an overdraft, which I don't want to do, ideally.
Thus, poker is not a plausible, legitamate option right now, but it is a foundation. I have applied for many other jobs and I am going job hunting today... hopefully, hopefully something comes in. Ideally I want to get something that is part-time but where I can do 25 hours a week if I choose, then switch to 12-16 hours a week when uni starts. I get to know people, I enjoy it (hopefully), its a consistent income. I was working 16 hours a week in Waitrose and earning £500pcm...that would pay my rent, poker can do the rest along with loan...
If I stick with my guns now it would be tough financially until something comes along or I get back to the Vic. However, I firmly believe I will enjoy summer way more this way and can still earn the money I desire, if nothing else I would just have to make savings and there are plenty of ways I can do that, without enjoying myself any less. When I have money I am a complete degen with it and spend it a lot. However, I never put money away so when the chips are down....the chips are down.
Anyway, like I alluded to above, I think poker can contribute massively but I have never fully appreciated what it can offer or been bothered to utilise it, its always been more about the fun part. Well when I was grinding 10nl I was earning fairly large amounts of money. I thought about this and remembered my winrate...I am sure I can make more than £6.25p/h and I pick my hours! Thus, I booted up Stars at 9.30am, was going to play till I earn $20 or stop at 11.30am to go job hunting.
I earnt $17, in one hour, on 10nl! This may well not be sustainable and obviously there will be downswings. However, it helps me out, I enjoy it and its flexible!
I definately intend to get a job but one where I can still fit in poker. Basically the job will just pay my rent every month, whilst poker pays for everything else, as well as providing me with money to put away for a rainy day.
I have also come up with a couple of money-making schemes. One being letting the second bedroom out in the flat for the 8 weeks that girlfriend is away (she would go apeshit). I could achieve £80p/w easily, the market rate is £125p/w. £80 per week pays for 3/4 of my rent...tyvm. Then I really could just play poker for a living...
Anyway, the bottom line is you only live once.. My contract at works ends on the Friday before the Monday I start uni again. There is no way in hell I am doing that. Evenings are a write off, too tired. Weekends are similar and I couldn't get home, for example, until about 10pm on the Friday night, if I left straight from work, I then have to be back in work for 9am on the Monday morning. Its impossible to enjoy myself. Yeh I may well earn £3000 or something but what the hell for?
Life isn't a dress rehearsal...
Anyway, will see if I can make the most of today and then decide whether or not to stick with my guns. It may well be that I just cave in, bottle it and go to work tomorrow but I am sure as hell gonna give it a shot..
My aim at the start of this summer was too add some weight to my CV (check-I got the job, its now on CV, never going anywhere, plenty of ways to skin a cat, goal 2-to have £1000 sitting in current account, to have £500 sitting in savings, to have a poker roll of about £500, to have part-time work guaranteed heading in to the new academic year. Nowhere in my list of goals were there t+c's saying "you must do whatever it takes to achieve these, its a life or death situation and this summer is crucial to the remaining 60 years of your life".
In a nutshell, fuck it. I intend to enjoy my summer AND achieve those goals, today was the beginning of that, hopefully.
However, I'm making myself sound more baller than I actually am. In reality, I am giving myself today and possibly tomorrow to make the decisions and prepare to take the gamble. I think I can get today off work without getting the boot. So if by the end of the day little changes, I may just turn up for work tomorrow with a tail between my legs, as my quest is defeated before I leave the port... I haven't quit right now, so as to leave myself a back-up plan. Just got to pray they don't email back something along the lines of "don't worry, we can't cope with the unrealiability". I also CANNOT let my parents find out, they know I intend to quit but I said mid-August, work till then and then I am sweet financially.
My basic pay breaks down to £6.25 per hour. I earn more than that per hour at the Vic and I am sure I can earn as much as that online. However, you obviously need a pain threshold with poker due to variance, something I don't have right now, unless I utilise an overdraft, which I don't want to do, ideally.
Thus, poker is not a plausible, legitamate option right now, but it is a foundation. I have applied for many other jobs and I am going job hunting today... hopefully, hopefully something comes in. Ideally I want to get something that is part-time but where I can do 25 hours a week if I choose, then switch to 12-16 hours a week when uni starts. I get to know people, I enjoy it (hopefully), its a consistent income. I was working 16 hours a week in Waitrose and earning £500pcm...that would pay my rent, poker can do the rest along with loan...
If I stick with my guns now it would be tough financially until something comes along or I get back to the Vic. However, I firmly believe I will enjoy summer way more this way and can still earn the money I desire, if nothing else I would just have to make savings and there are plenty of ways I can do that, without enjoying myself any less. When I have money I am a complete degen with it and spend it a lot. However, I never put money away so when the chips are down....the chips are down.
Anyway, like I alluded to above, I think poker can contribute massively but I have never fully appreciated what it can offer or been bothered to utilise it, its always been more about the fun part. Well when I was grinding 10nl I was earning fairly large amounts of money. I thought about this and remembered my winrate...I am sure I can make more than £6.25p/h and I pick my hours! Thus, I booted up Stars at 9.30am, was going to play till I earn $20 or stop at 11.30am to go job hunting.
I earnt $17, in one hour, on 10nl! This may well not be sustainable and obviously there will be downswings. However, it helps me out, I enjoy it and its flexible!
I definately intend to get a job but one where I can still fit in poker. Basically the job will just pay my rent every month, whilst poker pays for everything else, as well as providing me with money to put away for a rainy day.
I have also come up with a couple of money-making schemes. One being letting the second bedroom out in the flat for the 8 weeks that girlfriend is away (she would go apeshit). I could achieve £80p/w easily, the market rate is £125p/w. £80 per week pays for 3/4 of my rent...tyvm. Then I really could just play poker for a living...
Anyway, the bottom line is you only live once.. My contract at works ends on the Friday before the Monday I start uni again. There is no way in hell I am doing that. Evenings are a write off, too tired. Weekends are similar and I couldn't get home, for example, until about 10pm on the Friday night, if I left straight from work, I then have to be back in work for 9am on the Monday morning. Its impossible to enjoy myself. Yeh I may well earn £3000 or something but what the hell for?
Life isn't a dress rehearsal...
Anyway, will see if I can make the most of today and then decide whether or not to stick with my guns. It may well be that I just cave in, bottle it and go to work tomorrow but I am sure as hell gonna give it a shot..
Saturday 11 July 2009
Happy Days
Just finished a session on 10nl and things couldn't really get much better at the minute. Live...I am earning. Tournaments...I am going deep. Online cash...I'm earning $10 an hour.
Was running pretty good to be honest, in general. Not on an absolute heater but I am praying that was the sign of a heater to come and it follows me to the Vic!
"Roll" is now exceeding the $100 mark once again. Although, as I said, once I get to $150, $100 will be coming off. One thing I was thinking to myself during that session is that I need to start analysing hands after. This blog has very little in the way of pure poker content and thought. Although, this was always going to be the case initially as I outline my aims and get a foothold in the game on a bankroll management front.
Nonetheless, I am going to try and be a bit more aware of hands, which is obviously difficult when multi-tabling, but I will try in order to take full advantage of 2+2..
Think that may well be it for a while on the poker front, unfortunately. Girlfriend's b'day on Monday so that effectively starts tomorrow, then a good mates 21st on Tuesday, then another mates 20th on Wednesday before I go home for mine on Friday, having also celebrated it here in London on Thursday...and again on Sunday :P
Going to be a truly epic week I think. Just a shame poker is going to have to take a backseat...
Gonna do my upmost to make it to the Vic before all the fun and games begin every night this week, need to take advantage of my momentum!
GL
Was running pretty good to be honest, in general. Not on an absolute heater but I am praying that was the sign of a heater to come and it follows me to the Vic!
"Roll" is now exceeding the $100 mark once again. Although, as I said, once I get to $150, $100 will be coming off. One thing I was thinking to myself during that session is that I need to start analysing hands after. This blog has very little in the way of pure poker content and thought. Although, this was always going to be the case initially as I outline my aims and get a foothold in the game on a bankroll management front.
Nonetheless, I am going to try and be a bit more aware of hands, which is obviously difficult when multi-tabling, but I will try in order to take full advantage of 2+2..
Think that may well be it for a while on the poker front, unfortunately. Girlfriend's b'day on Monday so that effectively starts tomorrow, then a good mates 21st on Tuesday, then another mates 20th on Wednesday before I go home for mine on Friday, having also celebrated it here in London on Thursday...and again on Sunday :P
Going to be a truly epic week I think. Just a shame poker is going to have to take a backseat...
Gonna do my upmost to make it to the Vic before all the fun and games begin every night this week, need to take advantage of my momentum!
GL
Close but no cigar...
After my post on here when I got in I booted up stars and played some 8-game for a bit, did quite well, more or less doubling my stack.
I think I was surviving off adrenaline at this point, having been up the best part of 48 hours, so, decided to enter a tournament-the $8.80 on Stars.
At about 5am I busted out in 49th, from a field of 2000. SUCKS!
I felt I really played well and once we broke into the 100 I was very decently stacked-on about 100k, just above average. The standard run bad when deep then ensued. Getting the odds to call shoves from short stacks, get value and sticking it in etc, all the standard stuff when deep, the minute I was getting close to the prize, it fell away. I won a huge race with QQ on the bubble and that gave me momentum, then it faded away!
Eventually, after losing every race under the sun, I finally busted when my AQ couldn't improve against JJ. Still, I was happy with the way I played and its a little more tournament experience under my belt. Probably just about as deep as I have been now (68th in a field of 5000 in the $3.30 was better).
I withdrew $100 yesterday and with the cash last night there is about $100 in there again. Once I get up to $150 I shall withdraw another $100 and do it all over again, hopefully keep it going!
Won't be playing for a few days now I imagine, girlfriend is back tomorrow and then its her birthday. Besides, I had Sky+ installed this morning so my time is now being devoted to that...
GL!
I think I was surviving off adrenaline at this point, having been up the best part of 48 hours, so, decided to enter a tournament-the $8.80 on Stars.
At about 5am I busted out in 49th, from a field of 2000. SUCKS!
I felt I really played well and once we broke into the 100 I was very decently stacked-on about 100k, just above average. The standard run bad when deep then ensued. Getting the odds to call shoves from short stacks, get value and sticking it in etc, all the standard stuff when deep, the minute I was getting close to the prize, it fell away. I won a huge race with QQ on the bubble and that gave me momentum, then it faded away!
Eventually, after losing every race under the sun, I finally busted when my AQ couldn't improve against JJ. Still, I was happy with the way I played and its a little more tournament experience under my belt. Probably just about as deep as I have been now (68th in a field of 5000 in the $3.30 was better).
I withdrew $100 yesterday and with the cash last night there is about $100 in there again. Once I get up to $150 I shall withdraw another $100 and do it all over again, hopefully keep it going!
Won't be playing for a few days now I imagine, girlfriend is back tomorrow and then its her birthday. Besides, I had Sky+ installed this morning so my time is now being devoted to that...
GL!
Friday 10 July 2009
I'm fucking doing it I am!
Well, that brings the week to a close and I guess all round I can say its been successful. I earnt £73 tonight at the Vic and was extremely pleased with the way I actually played.
I made one bad call with KQ pre flop and followed it up with a bad decision on the flop, as well as playing A9 badly in a limped pot. Other than that I feel I did well. I was strong when I was playing, I limped twice (when not in the blind), otherwise I raised or reraised everytime, which I feel is critical to long-term success at the Vic.
I have taken some of the money to basically pay for my girlfriend's birthday but my live roll, as such, is now £150, after all deductions etc. Online is a separate issue but I don't intend to play all that much over the forthcoming weeks, definately concentrating on the Vic. Its a bit of a shame that I have to use the majority of my profit from this week, as it obviously means I am still walking a tightrope for the foreseeable future. Hopefully next week will see more of the same but some larger numbers.
I've put in a lot of hours over the past few days and indeed, not slept all that much! Thus, I intend to take a break and relax over the weekend. Hopefully I can bring my A game back to the felt on Tuesday/Wednesday of next week. I will try to make it on Tues/Weds/Thurs but certainly 2 of those 3.
I am setting myself a target of £60 per session, 4 sessions a week, £240 a week. I think this is obtainable, especially when I start running goot! The majority of my money last night and tonight came off big bluffs, just picking my opponents:
Raise from MP to £3, 1 caller and I elect to call with Ac6c on the button, SB a LAG calls
Flop 3 3 4(2 clubs)
Villain bets £7, folded to me, I raise to £18, he calls
Turn 5d, he checks, I bet £17, he calls
River 5h, he checks again, I bet £25, he folds. I flip air in order to create an image. He went on life tilt after so I guess he mucked 77/88 perhaps..
That was where the majority of my money came from and then some donk over bet shoving on the river with absolute air, whilst I rivered trips.. this was from the sb in a limped pot, got lucky.. Oh, and I made a nice call with 66 early on but had lost £20 at this point so it only brought me £20 above initial buy-in
Gonna hit the hay, hopefully manage to play a few hands online tomorrow and see where we go...Goodnight, good luck
I made one bad call with KQ pre flop and followed it up with a bad decision on the flop, as well as playing A9 badly in a limped pot. Other than that I feel I did well. I was strong when I was playing, I limped twice (when not in the blind), otherwise I raised or reraised everytime, which I feel is critical to long-term success at the Vic.
I have taken some of the money to basically pay for my girlfriend's birthday but my live roll, as such, is now £150, after all deductions etc. Online is a separate issue but I don't intend to play all that much over the forthcoming weeks, definately concentrating on the Vic. Its a bit of a shame that I have to use the majority of my profit from this week, as it obviously means I am still walking a tightrope for the foreseeable future. Hopefully next week will see more of the same but some larger numbers.
I've put in a lot of hours over the past few days and indeed, not slept all that much! Thus, I intend to take a break and relax over the weekend. Hopefully I can bring my A game back to the felt on Tuesday/Wednesday of next week. I will try to make it on Tues/Weds/Thurs but certainly 2 of those 3.
I am setting myself a target of £60 per session, 4 sessions a week, £240 a week. I think this is obtainable, especially when I start running goot! The majority of my money last night and tonight came off big bluffs, just picking my opponents:
Raise from MP to £3, 1 caller and I elect to call with Ac6c on the button, SB a LAG calls
Flop 3 3 4(2 clubs)
Villain bets £7, folded to me, I raise to £18, he calls
Turn 5d, he checks, I bet £17, he calls
River 5h, he checks again, I bet £25, he folds. I flip air in order to create an image. He went on life tilt after so I guess he mucked 77/88 perhaps..
That was where the majority of my money came from and then some donk over bet shoving on the river with absolute air, whilst I rivered trips.. this was from the sb in a limped pot, got lucky.. Oh, and I made a nice call with 66 early on but had lost £20 at this point so it only brought me £20 above initial buy-in
Gonna hit the hay, hopefully manage to play a few hands online tomorrow and see where we go...Goodnight, good luck
Vermin in the Vic
One thing that did get me worked up last night was the older, richer, lesser-skilled category of players that occupy the Vic.
Due to their 'wisdom' aka age and their supposed wealth, they think they own the joint. They all think they have amazing relationships with dealers and tournament directors, yet if they are so wealthy surely they would have the sense to realise that they are just pretending to be your friends so they can fleece you? After all, only the house wins...
One resident of the Vic, Robert I think his name is, was on my table, said hello etc etc. Nice guy when he's on his own. Was down about £30 but just playing for fun, intending to go in 10mins. Then this other fat, bald, grotesque person comes along, whom Robert obviously knew. This person had come from a losing session on Omaha and sat down with £100 on £1/£1. They instanstly started taking the piss out of the stake cos the pots are obviously a lot smaller than the tables these guys "could" play. What was really pathetic, and something I highlighted, was that Robert, a man in his 50s felt the need to engage in such juvenile remarks and even added £150 to his stack to look good. When the grotesque guy inflicted a bad beat on a guy to my left the guy smacked the table and left, to which they started sniggering and Robert came up with this beauty.."no no (to his mate), look at them..the average age at this table must be about 15, that guy probaby just put his wages on the table this week and lost it (lol). you have to understand the psychology of the table and use it..."
At which point I interjected cos it really pisses me off. For every 1 nice guy in the Vic there are 3 pricks like this.
I gave my own onslaught.."firstly, if you dont like the stake, there are other tables. whats highly amusing for us so-called 15 year olds is that you come over to this stake, berate it, yet 9 times out of 10 donate money to the table. whats also really pathetic is you are both in your 50s and feel the need to impress each other with your so-called wealth and good fortune. what you don't realise is half this place laughs at you while the other half pretend to be your friends whilst you donate hundreds of pounds a month to us. every night i come in here you are here, every night you want to feel part of the establishment and pretend to be this super rich person or someone with high status. at 50+ one would have hoped you would have learnt a few things from life, indeed more than myself and I am less than half your age. why are you even here? why are you playing 1/1 if you can afford to play stupid stakes? why? because you are not who you say you are, you come to the vic to pretend to be someone your not and its a chance to inflate your already over-inflated egos.."
or words to that effect..
the reply was this gem..."ooooh, who rattled your cage?"
i said, "i thought that was obvious but clearly you really do lack brains.."
20mins later they left and the dealer loved me. still didnt deal me aces though..
I was on tilt at the time but so many people want to say it, you can tell by the body language, so I just thought "fuck it, maybe I might even get respect"..
Will be interesting going back tonight if they are there..
Due to their 'wisdom' aka age and their supposed wealth, they think they own the joint. They all think they have amazing relationships with dealers and tournament directors, yet if they are so wealthy surely they would have the sense to realise that they are just pretending to be your friends so they can fleece you? After all, only the house wins...
One resident of the Vic, Robert I think his name is, was on my table, said hello etc etc. Nice guy when he's on his own. Was down about £30 but just playing for fun, intending to go in 10mins. Then this other fat, bald, grotesque person comes along, whom Robert obviously knew. This person had come from a losing session on Omaha and sat down with £100 on £1/£1. They instanstly started taking the piss out of the stake cos the pots are obviously a lot smaller than the tables these guys "could" play. What was really pathetic, and something I highlighted, was that Robert, a man in his 50s felt the need to engage in such juvenile remarks and even added £150 to his stack to look good. When the grotesque guy inflicted a bad beat on a guy to my left the guy smacked the table and left, to which they started sniggering and Robert came up with this beauty.."no no (to his mate), look at them..the average age at this table must be about 15, that guy probaby just put his wages on the table this week and lost it (lol). you have to understand the psychology of the table and use it..."
At which point I interjected cos it really pisses me off. For every 1 nice guy in the Vic there are 3 pricks like this.
I gave my own onslaught.."firstly, if you dont like the stake, there are other tables. whats highly amusing for us so-called 15 year olds is that you come over to this stake, berate it, yet 9 times out of 10 donate money to the table. whats also really pathetic is you are both in your 50s and feel the need to impress each other with your so-called wealth and good fortune. what you don't realise is half this place laughs at you while the other half pretend to be your friends whilst you donate hundreds of pounds a month to us. every night i come in here you are here, every night you want to feel part of the establishment and pretend to be this super rich person or someone with high status. at 50+ one would have hoped you would have learnt a few things from life, indeed more than myself and I am less than half your age. why are you even here? why are you playing 1/1 if you can afford to play stupid stakes? why? because you are not who you say you are, you come to the vic to pretend to be someone your not and its a chance to inflate your already over-inflated egos.."
or words to that effect..
the reply was this gem..."ooooh, who rattled your cage?"
i said, "i thought that was obvious but clearly you really do lack brains.."
20mins later they left and the dealer loved me. still didnt deal me aces though..
I was on tilt at the time but so many people want to say it, you can tell by the body language, so I just thought "fuck it, maybe I might even get respect"..
Will be interesting going back tonight if they are there..
Thursday 9 July 2009
Session #3
Absolutely brain dead so not sure how coherent it will be but what the hell...
Played my first hand of poker, tonight, at 7pm and my last at 3.45am so it was a complete degen session and I love it!
In reality, I play so bad. Played some pretty horrific poker tonight, generally after 11pm so I am going to blame it on tiredness! I managed to show a £45 profit but it should have been a lot lot more and if I was fresher, probably would have been.
I made two awful calls, which combined cost me about £90. Both should have been easy lay downs but both came at times when I had a decent stack so as seems to be the case with me recently, in this situation I feel more superior and don't mind chucking in a couple of £25 chips hoping to see a bluff or something (god knows what I actually think (I don't...thats the issue)).
Generally, it was an insanely swingy session and gave new meaning to the word "grind". I had a high of about £200 and a low of £27. Insane.
The following hand came at an awful time, I was playing some of my best poker of the night and had a rhythm going, I was really watching my opponents and trying to keep the edge I felt I had.
Anyway, for once it was folded to the small blind...
This guy was the most arrogant twat I have ever met, he must have been about 18 stone and no older than me. He was limping with air consistently but catching every single flop. Eventually he got caught out and donked off half his stack.
He raised it to £4 from the sb and I looked down at 22. I call and pray for a miracle 2 to trap him.
Flop : 8 2 6 "YES"
He immediately led out with a bet of £6. I gave it the whole theatre whilst trying to put him on a hand. I couldn't really, could have anything...
Turn : 6, which also brought a flush draw
He again led out with a bet of £11. I tanked for ages and eventually popped it to £29
He called
River: T
He checked. Now I didn't think about anything other than Vegas and the fucking Mirage at this point. It would be impossible to get away from it but I wish, for future ref. I had thought more.
Anyway, I tanked and bet £40 (pretty much put him all in...indeed, he shoved for another £3).
He flipped TT for the higher boat. Sigh.
That sent me on hyper tilt cos he would have stacked off regardless of that T falling. I laid the trap but got done. To be fair his check on the river was pretty sexy. He was shocked when I flipped 22 so I guess he didn't read me for a house, but whatever his logic on the river, the check was nice.
I will make another post about a few other things that happened over the course of the evening but generally I am a bit disappointed not to have earnt more. I expected to be doing better at this point. I think I am getting unlucky with table draws so I am going to look out for this tomorrow night and ensure I stake out the tables. It also seems to be a bit of a crapshoot after midnight...we were 7 handed and literally all had our heads on the table, couldn't be arsed but we're all degens.
I didn't limp all that much at all tonight, I was determined to eliminate that from my game. However, I still need to be more aggressive. I am toyed between making the right move or just folding in marginal situations and playing small ball poker. Obviously this isn't working that well. In prior sessions at the Vic I was far more aggressive/arrogant and playing better poker. Now, due to the fact that I need the money more and want success more, I am playing more cagey and thus only getting meagre profits. I need to think about this.
I am running bad at the moment I think, definately never run this bad in the Vic before. This is slightly encouraging because as I say, I was on a low of £27 today at some point but picked my spots, remained patient and worked my way back up. I knew I had an edge. Its irritating because unless I see drastic change over the next few days I can see it being a close to breakeven few sessions. I owe a mate £50 who staked me initially (when he learnt I was only allowing myself 2 buy-ins he was disgusted so shoved a £50 in my hand...ty).
Really hoping for a big big session tomorrow night and its needed really. Got my girlfriends bday on Monday, which I need to sort out and I've also suffered a loss of earnings this week due to my degen attitude keeping me at home! Unfortunately most of the profit this month is going to have to be pumped back into normal current account. August is gonna have to be the month for roll-building.
Will post tomorrow about a couple of other things that are in my head. Pretty KOd at the minute so cba. GL
Played my first hand of poker, tonight, at 7pm and my last at 3.45am so it was a complete degen session and I love it!
In reality, I play so bad. Played some pretty horrific poker tonight, generally after 11pm so I am going to blame it on tiredness! I managed to show a £45 profit but it should have been a lot lot more and if I was fresher, probably would have been.
I made two awful calls, which combined cost me about £90. Both should have been easy lay downs but both came at times when I had a decent stack so as seems to be the case with me recently, in this situation I feel more superior and don't mind chucking in a couple of £25 chips hoping to see a bluff or something (god knows what I actually think (I don't...thats the issue)).
Generally, it was an insanely swingy session and gave new meaning to the word "grind". I had a high of about £200 and a low of £27. Insane.
The following hand came at an awful time, I was playing some of my best poker of the night and had a rhythm going, I was really watching my opponents and trying to keep the edge I felt I had.
Anyway, for once it was folded to the small blind...
This guy was the most arrogant twat I have ever met, he must have been about 18 stone and no older than me. He was limping with air consistently but catching every single flop. Eventually he got caught out and donked off half his stack.
He raised it to £4 from the sb and I looked down at 22. I call and pray for a miracle 2 to trap him.
Flop : 8 2 6 "YES"
He immediately led out with a bet of £6. I gave it the whole theatre whilst trying to put him on a hand. I couldn't really, could have anything...
Turn : 6, which also brought a flush draw
He again led out with a bet of £11. I tanked for ages and eventually popped it to £29
He called
River: T
He checked. Now I didn't think about anything other than Vegas and the fucking Mirage at this point. It would be impossible to get away from it but I wish, for future ref. I had thought more.
Anyway, I tanked and bet £40 (pretty much put him all in...indeed, he shoved for another £3).
He flipped TT for the higher boat. Sigh.
That sent me on hyper tilt cos he would have stacked off regardless of that T falling. I laid the trap but got done. To be fair his check on the river was pretty sexy. He was shocked when I flipped 22 so I guess he didn't read me for a house, but whatever his logic on the river, the check was nice.
I will make another post about a few other things that happened over the course of the evening but generally I am a bit disappointed not to have earnt more. I expected to be doing better at this point. I think I am getting unlucky with table draws so I am going to look out for this tomorrow night and ensure I stake out the tables. It also seems to be a bit of a crapshoot after midnight...we were 7 handed and literally all had our heads on the table, couldn't be arsed but we're all degens.
I didn't limp all that much at all tonight, I was determined to eliminate that from my game. However, I still need to be more aggressive. I am toyed between making the right move or just folding in marginal situations and playing small ball poker. Obviously this isn't working that well. In prior sessions at the Vic I was far more aggressive/arrogant and playing better poker. Now, due to the fact that I need the money more and want success more, I am playing more cagey and thus only getting meagre profits. I need to think about this.
I am running bad at the moment I think, definately never run this bad in the Vic before. This is slightly encouraging because as I say, I was on a low of £27 today at some point but picked my spots, remained patient and worked my way back up. I knew I had an edge. Its irritating because unless I see drastic change over the next few days I can see it being a close to breakeven few sessions. I owe a mate £50 who staked me initially (when he learnt I was only allowing myself 2 buy-ins he was disgusted so shoved a £50 in my hand...ty).
Really hoping for a big big session tomorrow night and its needed really. Got my girlfriends bday on Monday, which I need to sort out and I've also suffered a loss of earnings this week due to my degen attitude keeping me at home! Unfortunately most of the profit this month is going to have to be pumped back into normal current account. August is gonna have to be the month for roll-building.
Will post tomorrow about a couple of other things that are in my head. Pretty KOd at the minute so cba. GL
Life
Well as you may be able to derive from the fact that this is now my second post of the day, I have done very little.
I am in the office on my own, except from an LSE intern who has an infallible inability to speak, despite her instructions to seek guidance from me. This has amused me for the past week. You can study your arse off, gain entry into LSE yet you lack basic human functions, such as interaction. What good is four billion 'As' at A level and a first class honours degree from a top 5 university going to do you if you can't even say hello to your colleague every morning? This is the life we live in.
Since my last post and its title "motivation" I began staring at my computer screen and thinking "motivation for what?" Purpose is a man made concept. I remember reading a book once, the author of which escapes me now, but within it was a line that will stay with me till my deathbed; "if you wrote a book on your life, would anybody read it?". Granted, I turn 20 in a few days so moments for philosophical thought in which I search for the meaning of life are probably somewhat premature. However, I, perhaps wrongly, think I have had to endure a period of sustained mental maturity over the last year due to the fiasco with university etc (obviously my own doing but I like to divert responsibility). Over this time period I think my outlook on life has changed a bit and its interesting to see where I go from here.
This "phase", today, has stemmed from me attempting to engage with this LSE intern. We are the only two in the office and for anybody that has experienced it, you will know that the office is about as welcoming as seeing a coffin with your name on it. Humour, social interaction, these things are essential to getting through the working day. These things are missing within my esteemed colleague. Why? She, like many including myself, have been pre-programmed to have a purpose in life, to filter through the academic system, to embark on academic challenges in order to "better" yourself and "better" your life. Purpose is a man-made concept.
Should one not be able to find his own feet, whether it be through mistakes or success? This stat, which is what she is, will get a pat on the back from our boss, go back to university, tell her tutor what a wonderful person she is and how she had engaged upon a life-changing summer working for Verdantix, update her CV accordingly and then plod along to the next string-puller. As Michael Connelly said "Everybody lies....the law is a contest of lies".
In two years from now, theoretically, I will have graduated. 22 years of my life will be lost, gone, never returned. I have been engulfed by an education system yet I have few life experiences to draw upon. At which point many would shout "you are only 22 though". Granted. Yet due to my surpression by "the system", I then have to filter through the next stage of that "system"...a career. It costs astronomical amounts of money to survive in London, to obtain this degree and pass through the "system", it then costs me time, effort and more money to pass this off to continue onto the next stage of the "system". When will it end? It doesn't. I'm bordering 20 years of age and I am sitting in an office during my only free time before university starts again. Why? To "better" my statistics within this "system". Foolishly, I always thought I was the clever one in the system, I'd do things differently. Unbeknown to the intern behind me, I get paid. She doesn't. Yet we are in the same position but I pitched myself differently, I went in arrogantly and thats what I got. The difference? Not a lot. The money still goes to someone else, the money still ultimately pays for me to be in London and work the "system", which has now extended to surpressing me even through the summer.
Is your past a foundation or an anchor? Well it doesn't take a genius to establish what is meant be this statement, yet, it does take a genius to put the future in the same context. What will I make of my 70 years on this planet? 1/4 of which has been spent enduring the lies. Everybody lies. I wonder how many lawyers, when on their death beds, genuinely believe that they had a happy life and were 100% self-fulfiled? I would be willing to bet its less than half. Money really doesn't buy you happiness. If last summer someone told me I could earn £1000+ per month and work in a commercial environment, I'd snap their hand off. I have never cared less about money. My boss could walk in now and fire me for writing this, I wouldn't bat an eyelid.
Its intriguing how times change. My past is a foundation, whats my future?
I am in the office on my own, except from an LSE intern who has an infallible inability to speak, despite her instructions to seek guidance from me. This has amused me for the past week. You can study your arse off, gain entry into LSE yet you lack basic human functions, such as interaction. What good is four billion 'As' at A level and a first class honours degree from a top 5 university going to do you if you can't even say hello to your colleague every morning? This is the life we live in.
Since my last post and its title "motivation" I began staring at my computer screen and thinking "motivation for what?" Purpose is a man made concept. I remember reading a book once, the author of which escapes me now, but within it was a line that will stay with me till my deathbed; "if you wrote a book on your life, would anybody read it?". Granted, I turn 20 in a few days so moments for philosophical thought in which I search for the meaning of life are probably somewhat premature. However, I, perhaps wrongly, think I have had to endure a period of sustained mental maturity over the last year due to the fiasco with university etc (obviously my own doing but I like to divert responsibility). Over this time period I think my outlook on life has changed a bit and its interesting to see where I go from here.
This "phase", today, has stemmed from me attempting to engage with this LSE intern. We are the only two in the office and for anybody that has experienced it, you will know that the office is about as welcoming as seeing a coffin with your name on it. Humour, social interaction, these things are essential to getting through the working day. These things are missing within my esteemed colleague. Why? She, like many including myself, have been pre-programmed to have a purpose in life, to filter through the academic system, to embark on academic challenges in order to "better" yourself and "better" your life. Purpose is a man-made concept.
Should one not be able to find his own feet, whether it be through mistakes or success? This stat, which is what she is, will get a pat on the back from our boss, go back to university, tell her tutor what a wonderful person she is and how she had engaged upon a life-changing summer working for Verdantix, update her CV accordingly and then plod along to the next string-puller. As Michael Connelly said "Everybody lies....the law is a contest of lies".
In two years from now, theoretically, I will have graduated. 22 years of my life will be lost, gone, never returned. I have been engulfed by an education system yet I have few life experiences to draw upon. At which point many would shout "you are only 22 though". Granted. Yet due to my surpression by "the system", I then have to filter through the next stage of that "system"...a career. It costs astronomical amounts of money to survive in London, to obtain this degree and pass through the "system", it then costs me time, effort and more money to pass this off to continue onto the next stage of the "system". When will it end? It doesn't. I'm bordering 20 years of age and I am sitting in an office during my only free time before university starts again. Why? To "better" my statistics within this "system". Foolishly, I always thought I was the clever one in the system, I'd do things differently. Unbeknown to the intern behind me, I get paid. She doesn't. Yet we are in the same position but I pitched myself differently, I went in arrogantly and thats what I got. The difference? Not a lot. The money still goes to someone else, the money still ultimately pays for me to be in London and work the "system", which has now extended to surpressing me even through the summer.
Is your past a foundation or an anchor? Well it doesn't take a genius to establish what is meant be this statement, yet, it does take a genius to put the future in the same context. What will I make of my 70 years on this planet? 1/4 of which has been spent enduring the lies. Everybody lies. I wonder how many lawyers, when on their death beds, genuinely believe that they had a happy life and were 100% self-fulfiled? I would be willing to bet its less than half. Money really doesn't buy you happiness. If last summer someone told me I could earn £1000+ per month and work in a commercial environment, I'd snap their hand off. I have never cared less about money. My boss could walk in now and fire me for writing this, I wouldn't bat an eyelid.
Its intriguing how times change. My past is a foundation, whats my future?
Motivation
Last night was pretty successful all round I think, following my relatively modest return at the Vic I felt pretty pumped about poker and that my aims/goals/routines are getting some sort of reward.
Firstly, the way I didn't tilt off the other night and kept at it (bearing in mind I had allowed myself 2-3 buyins at the Vic, I needed to get off to a good start) and then not getting greedy last night and just taking some profit and going...
When I got back the first thing I did was update the blog but after I couldn't resist playing a few hands online so went straight into the 50/1 games with a full stack. Naughty, I know, particularly as I was determined to obey bankroll management. Nonetheless, it went well and the roll is up to $172 (taking a $40 profit last night).
I am trying to encourage Jon to engage in a system of his own, we have both spent far too much time talking about poker I think and its about time something has to give. One of our mates is content with grinding the living daylights out of $3 SNGs and he is doing extremeley well (scope 'dr.blake' on stars). However, he has been doing this for like a year and I just don't think I could be content with such an insignificant amount of money so I wouldn't invest the time in it or would be more likely to tilt it off being stupid.
Realistically, I don't think I would be able to get poker to pay my way this summer, its too much to ask. So, unfortunately, it looks like the job is here to stay (I write this from the office which is a lol). The only thing is, I may look to change jobs come August, just for a bit of variety and for sanity's sake. Still, hoping a break for my b'day next week will sort me out and then I will look to get a few of the lads down and I shall go up more. Anyway, I digress.
If I carry on working as I am, I still intend to go to the Vic 4 nights a week. I will take 33% of the profit and pump it straight into my ordinary bank account (assuming I stay working full-time). The remaining 66% will be put into my poker account, which is being set up and should be sorted by next week. I initially laid out £140 for the Vic so at the start of Sept that £140 will be returned to my ordinary bank account and then I will be effectively freerolling and hopefully have some sort of roll by that point, which will see me through the year!
I am sacking off online until uni starts again, basically. Will continue to play a few hands here and there but I think I will withdraw $100 and leave $72 to play with. See what I can get that up to come uni but concentrate on live until then. Then I am depositing on an EU site with rakeback and its bye bye Stars until I have a 4 figure roll. During uni I will cut down live play but still go 2-3 nights a week (also a good opportunity to do something on my own, away from girlfriend).
Enjoying things at the moment, off to the Vic straight after work so hopefully I can see a bigger return tonight. Going earlier and don't want to be out as late so will update when I return. GL.....
Firstly, the way I didn't tilt off the other night and kept at it (bearing in mind I had allowed myself 2-3 buyins at the Vic, I needed to get off to a good start) and then not getting greedy last night and just taking some profit and going...
When I got back the first thing I did was update the blog but after I couldn't resist playing a few hands online so went straight into the 50/1 games with a full stack. Naughty, I know, particularly as I was determined to obey bankroll management. Nonetheless, it went well and the roll is up to $172 (taking a $40 profit last night).
I am trying to encourage Jon to engage in a system of his own, we have both spent far too much time talking about poker I think and its about time something has to give. One of our mates is content with grinding the living daylights out of $3 SNGs and he is doing extremeley well (scope 'dr.blake' on stars). However, he has been doing this for like a year and I just don't think I could be content with such an insignificant amount of money so I wouldn't invest the time in it or would be more likely to tilt it off being stupid.
Realistically, I don't think I would be able to get poker to pay my way this summer, its too much to ask. So, unfortunately, it looks like the job is here to stay (I write this from the office which is a lol). The only thing is, I may look to change jobs come August, just for a bit of variety and for sanity's sake. Still, hoping a break for my b'day next week will sort me out and then I will look to get a few of the lads down and I shall go up more. Anyway, I digress.
If I carry on working as I am, I still intend to go to the Vic 4 nights a week. I will take 33% of the profit and pump it straight into my ordinary bank account (assuming I stay working full-time). The remaining 66% will be put into my poker account, which is being set up and should be sorted by next week. I initially laid out £140 for the Vic so at the start of Sept that £140 will be returned to my ordinary bank account and then I will be effectively freerolling and hopefully have some sort of roll by that point, which will see me through the year!
I am sacking off online until uni starts again, basically. Will continue to play a few hands here and there but I think I will withdraw $100 and leave $72 to play with. See what I can get that up to come uni but concentrate on live until then. Then I am depositing on an EU site with rakeback and its bye bye Stars until I have a 4 figure roll. During uni I will cut down live play but still go 2-3 nights a week (also a good opportunity to do something on my own, away from girlfriend).
Enjoying things at the moment, off to the Vic straight after work so hopefully I can see a bigger return tonight. Going earlier and don't want to be out as late so will update when I return. GL.....
Wednesday 8 July 2009
Session #2
Well, I returned from my second session at the Vic and it was certainly more successful!
I returned with a total profit of £97, very happy with that and it means I am on my way, finally! I think I should have made more and I actually got there too late and then got unlucky with table selection. There were 3 £1/£1 tables running and I seemed to get the one with the most regulars/grinders, there was a gentleman's agreement to steer clear of each other too so no action. That made me laugh as it reminded me of Rounders, we were quite literally taking tourists' money between ourselves.
I love the place so much, seem to be getting a little more respect now and people are more open cos I go a bit more regularly (probably more to do with the fact that I have been twice in as many days and the first session was negative so they were queuing up for me this time!). Either way, its enjoyable and I met some cool people. I ended up jostling with one, 3-bet me every single time after I bluffed him early on, we had played against each other before and the banter was funny, but I made £40 off him early on when I sat down and he didn't let me go easily!
This is when this happened: I raise from mp with 66 after 1 limper entered the pot, I made it £7 to go. This guy (2 to my left) called, I knew that was a sign of weakness cos as I say he 3-bet me every other time. All others folded. Flop came A 9 9, I insta-checked and he bet £12, I repopped him to £28 and he called. He doesn't have an ace based on pf play, imo. Turn brought a blank. I checked again and he followed. River brought a T and I value bet £22. Praying for a fold more often than not as I put him on 55-88. He said nice value bet, gotta call (no idea why, idiot). As he said this I read his hand for what it was 55...I flipped my 66 and he showed the 55. Was really happy with the way I played that hand.
That was really the only notable hand of the night, was generally folding a lot of the time. There is currently a festival on at the moment with some pretty hefty buy-ins so hopefully going to take advantage of the money circulating round the place (simon trumpers included!). The negative of this is that the dynamics of the table were constantly changing and it was difficult to get a rhythm going. Still, onwards and upwards.
I made a couple of loose calls. The worst of which I was disgusted with myself at...limped UTG+1 with 22, my nemesis for the night saw this and made it £11 to go (there was a £2 straddle), straddler called and I thought it wouldn't be polite not to. Checked every street and the initial raiser flipped A high whilst the straddler tabled his made backdoor flush. Was angry with myself after that but got carried away with the banter.
I have noticed my play has been affected in similar circumstances. There is SO SO much limping at these games. Two examples of how this affects me..3 limpers, im on the button with AT suited, online I would probably raise and hope to take the pot right there. I limped...mucked on the flop. Same thing with KQ. BSB play I just completely ignore and limp in or check every single option. Q9/JT I just find myself limping in with cos I know there will be no raise unless someone has a premium hand.
I really need to stop this and take advantage of it, rather than treat it as a home game and get carried away with it..
Anyway, happy with things so far, going earlier tomorrow cos I waited ages for a table, only had 2.5 hours play before people started leaving and it went down to 6-handed, meaning I left!
GL and I shall update accordingly!
I returned with a total profit of £97, very happy with that and it means I am on my way, finally! I think I should have made more and I actually got there too late and then got unlucky with table selection. There were 3 £1/£1 tables running and I seemed to get the one with the most regulars/grinders, there was a gentleman's agreement to steer clear of each other too so no action. That made me laugh as it reminded me of Rounders, we were quite literally taking tourists' money between ourselves.
I love the place so much, seem to be getting a little more respect now and people are more open cos I go a bit more regularly (probably more to do with the fact that I have been twice in as many days and the first session was negative so they were queuing up for me this time!). Either way, its enjoyable and I met some cool people. I ended up jostling with one, 3-bet me every single time after I bluffed him early on, we had played against each other before and the banter was funny, but I made £40 off him early on when I sat down and he didn't let me go easily!
This is when this happened: I raise from mp with 66 after 1 limper entered the pot, I made it £7 to go. This guy (2 to my left) called, I knew that was a sign of weakness cos as I say he 3-bet me every other time. All others folded. Flop came A 9 9, I insta-checked and he bet £12, I repopped him to £28 and he called. He doesn't have an ace based on pf play, imo. Turn brought a blank. I checked again and he followed. River brought a T and I value bet £22. Praying for a fold more often than not as I put him on 55-88. He said nice value bet, gotta call (no idea why, idiot). As he said this I read his hand for what it was 55...I flipped my 66 and he showed the 55. Was really happy with the way I played that hand.
That was really the only notable hand of the night, was generally folding a lot of the time. There is currently a festival on at the moment with some pretty hefty buy-ins so hopefully going to take advantage of the money circulating round the place (simon trumpers included!). The negative of this is that the dynamics of the table were constantly changing and it was difficult to get a rhythm going. Still, onwards and upwards.
I made a couple of loose calls. The worst of which I was disgusted with myself at...limped UTG+1 with 22, my nemesis for the night saw this and made it £11 to go (there was a £2 straddle), straddler called and I thought it wouldn't be polite not to. Checked every street and the initial raiser flipped A high whilst the straddler tabled his made backdoor flush. Was angry with myself after that but got carried away with the banter.
I have noticed my play has been affected in similar circumstances. There is SO SO much limping at these games. Two examples of how this affects me..3 limpers, im on the button with AT suited, online I would probably raise and hope to take the pot right there. I limped...mucked on the flop. Same thing with KQ. BSB play I just completely ignore and limp in or check every single option. Q9/JT I just find myself limping in with cos I know there will be no raise unless someone has a premium hand.
I really need to stop this and take advantage of it, rather than treat it as a home game and get carried away with it..
Anyway, happy with things so far, going earlier tomorrow cos I waited ages for a table, only had 2.5 hours play before people started leaving and it went down to 6-handed, meaning I left!
GL and I shall update accordingly!
Monday 6 July 2009
How long does one have to wait!?
Well yet again I miss that big score in a tournament, miss the crucial races/flips/60:40s when deep.
Entered a $5.50 on Stars, came about 140th from a field of arund 3000. Return: $17 + a $5 last longer bet with a mate.
So aggravating that for 5 hours I get such a measly ROI. That got me thinking..
Why am I playing on Stars? The software is nice, the traffic is awesome, the game choice is good. However, in comparison to the EU sites, there are no soft games and every tournament on Stars is a crap shoot, you HAVE to run good. I had 2 decent shots at having a massive stack but lost both 60/40s for the millionth time in a tournament.
I enjoy tournaments far more than cash and obv it offers a large ROI if you can do it that ONE TIME. However, I think its made so so so much harder in fields as large as Stars'. Obv this is pretty much common sense. Even with the large payout structure...I just beat approx 2850 people in the race to the final table yet I got about $11 profit for my efforts. How is anyone meant to get a roll going from that without running like god everyday?
So the upshot is, I might transfer the roll to some European site that offers a nice bonus system and rakeback, I shall investigate this evening.
The only question is over timing. I may withdraw from Stars over the next couple of days and then leave it a bit. Its my girlfriends bday on the weekend and then mine the following weekend so wont be playing much at all. I shall have to return to work tomorrow/Weds I think so it only leaves the evenings and I am playing at the Vic Weds-Fri. I also couldn't afford to deposit that much online over the next week or so due to all the bday things and rent payment being due next week. Thus, it may make sense for me to leave it until the end of the month, by which time I hopefully will have accumulated a few hundred from the Vic and make full use of the bonus system on a new site.
I want to answer all these questions for myself and figure it all out prior to September so that I can have a roll for the start of uni and be building on it over the next six months, then, make some more decisions come the new year.
Anyway, I am going to do some sums, have a think, scout some sites out and then figure out the path to glory, as well as mull over my inability to final table a bastard tournament. I am getting closer.
GL
Entered a $5.50 on Stars, came about 140th from a field of arund 3000. Return: $17 + a $5 last longer bet with a mate.
So aggravating that for 5 hours I get such a measly ROI. That got me thinking..
Why am I playing on Stars? The software is nice, the traffic is awesome, the game choice is good. However, in comparison to the EU sites, there are no soft games and every tournament on Stars is a crap shoot, you HAVE to run good. I had 2 decent shots at having a massive stack but lost both 60/40s for the millionth time in a tournament.
I enjoy tournaments far more than cash and obv it offers a large ROI if you can do it that ONE TIME. However, I think its made so so so much harder in fields as large as Stars'. Obv this is pretty much common sense. Even with the large payout structure...I just beat approx 2850 people in the race to the final table yet I got about $11 profit for my efforts. How is anyone meant to get a roll going from that without running like god everyday?
So the upshot is, I might transfer the roll to some European site that offers a nice bonus system and rakeback, I shall investigate this evening.
The only question is over timing. I may withdraw from Stars over the next couple of days and then leave it a bit. Its my girlfriends bday on the weekend and then mine the following weekend so wont be playing much at all. I shall have to return to work tomorrow/Weds I think so it only leaves the evenings and I am playing at the Vic Weds-Fri. I also couldn't afford to deposit that much online over the next week or so due to all the bday things and rent payment being due next week. Thus, it may make sense for me to leave it until the end of the month, by which time I hopefully will have accumulated a few hundred from the Vic and make full use of the bonus system on a new site.
I want to answer all these questions for myself and figure it all out prior to September so that I can have a roll for the start of uni and be building on it over the next six months, then, make some more decisions come the new year.
Anyway, I am going to do some sums, have a think, scout some sites out and then figure out the path to glory, as well as mull over my inability to final table a bastard tournament. I am getting closer.
GL
Session #1
Well, I hit the Vic for the first time in a couple of months last night to undertake the first session of many this summer..
I know poker players say it all the time but I ran awfully, it was cooler after cooler. Initially I had ran it up to about £135 (sat with £100 on 50/1), the majority of which came from my flopped top 2.
Soon noticed I started playing bad. I am never going on a Sunday night again, only regulars there really and there was no action. Michael, one 70yr old regular I know quite well, only plays AT>. I was playing 4 hours and he saw 7 flops, one from checking his option. Unreal. So no action meant Jamie starting being a bit cocky and making the action. Didn't help when I pulled off a massive bluff with 6 high and showed it to induce action, that was fatal cos I lost all respect for an hour.
Had AA twice, flopped top set twice, lost the hand twice. 99 quadded up. KJ hit a flush and took me for £70. However, I legitamately folded to quad 9s, I flipped AAA and got stunned looks. The guy mucked but the table insisted on showing, its only fair...he had quads. Sickest moment of my life. It was fairly obvious tbf, the guy may as well have been rolling around on the floor going "QUADS!". So I lost about £30 there.
One thing about 50/1 at the Vic that really tilts me is preflop action. Limp limp limp limp limp, raise, call call call call call. I dont like to make it £9/10 to go with AA/KK/QQ cos I think its obvious that you are protecting a premium hand. However, I think I am going to make my standard pre flop raise £6 minimum and see how I go.
I also need to just calm down a bit and get back to playing small ball poker. I am desperate to quit working full-time, be able to earn £300p/w from the Vic and work part-time, enjoying the summer and building a roll. However, right now, I cannot afford to lose the money, so I was playing differently and with less confidence, I was just playing scared. However, the small ball TAG game has earnt me £600 in that place, I need to remember that and get back to it, not be in a rush. I went in all guns blazing and wanted a quick £80 (my target per session) and then get out.
Anyway, AK < AQ, set over set, flushes drawing out on me, I went down to £35. I won't provide the ins and outs but eventually left with £80 at midnight (the majority coming with QQ overbet shove on flop).
I was really happy despite losing money, simply cos I didn't tilt, I was enjoying playing to begin with, met some cool people, heard a lot about Vegas and was playing pretty solid. I made a few mistakes, of course, but generally I was on the wrong end of coolers.
The main thing I am taking from it is that my short stack play I felt was exceptional and I didn't just stick it in with JT and pray, I felt I was better than my opponents and built it up again. I am sure I could have ended back in profit but it was quite quiet so at midnight we ended up 7 handed and I wanted to catch the tube home, which meant leaving at that point or spending an hour on a bus.
Going to go again on Weds. That session has to be positive otherwise I will have to leave it until the end of the month. I need to think about this cos I don't want the fact that I CANNOT lose money influence my play.
Things to take from it:
> Get back to small ball poker
> Focus more when not involved in the hand
> Socialise less, play poker more
> Consider preflop bet sizes
> Limp less
> Stop being so f'ing passive with AK
> Be more aggro generally. I got the T part last night but not the AG
GL
I know poker players say it all the time but I ran awfully, it was cooler after cooler. Initially I had ran it up to about £135 (sat with £100 on 50/1), the majority of which came from my flopped top 2.
Soon noticed I started playing bad. I am never going on a Sunday night again, only regulars there really and there was no action. Michael, one 70yr old regular I know quite well, only plays AT>. I was playing 4 hours and he saw 7 flops, one from checking his option. Unreal. So no action meant Jamie starting being a bit cocky and making the action. Didn't help when I pulled off a massive bluff with 6 high and showed it to induce action, that was fatal cos I lost all respect for an hour.
Had AA twice, flopped top set twice, lost the hand twice. 99 quadded up. KJ hit a flush and took me for £70. However, I legitamately folded to quad 9s, I flipped AAA and got stunned looks. The guy mucked but the table insisted on showing, its only fair...he had quads. Sickest moment of my life. It was fairly obvious tbf, the guy may as well have been rolling around on the floor going "QUADS!". So I lost about £30 there.
One thing about 50/1 at the Vic that really tilts me is preflop action. Limp limp limp limp limp, raise, call call call call call. I dont like to make it £9/10 to go with AA/KK/QQ cos I think its obvious that you are protecting a premium hand. However, I think I am going to make my standard pre flop raise £6 minimum and see how I go.
I also need to just calm down a bit and get back to playing small ball poker. I am desperate to quit working full-time, be able to earn £300p/w from the Vic and work part-time, enjoying the summer and building a roll. However, right now, I cannot afford to lose the money, so I was playing differently and with less confidence, I was just playing scared. However, the small ball TAG game has earnt me £600 in that place, I need to remember that and get back to it, not be in a rush. I went in all guns blazing and wanted a quick £80 (my target per session) and then get out.
Anyway, AK < AQ, set over set, flushes drawing out on me, I went down to £35. I won't provide the ins and outs but eventually left with £80 at midnight (the majority coming with QQ overbet shove on flop).
I was really happy despite losing money, simply cos I didn't tilt, I was enjoying playing to begin with, met some cool people, heard a lot about Vegas and was playing pretty solid. I made a few mistakes, of course, but generally I was on the wrong end of coolers.
The main thing I am taking from it is that my short stack play I felt was exceptional and I didn't just stick it in with JT and pray, I felt I was better than my opponents and built it up again. I am sure I could have ended back in profit but it was quite quiet so at midnight we ended up 7 handed and I wanted to catch the tube home, which meant leaving at that point or spending an hour on a bus.
Going to go again on Weds. That session has to be positive otherwise I will have to leave it until the end of the month. I need to think about this cos I don't want the fact that I CANNOT lose money influence my play.
Things to take from it:
> Get back to small ball poker
> Focus more when not involved in the hand
> Socialise less, play poker more
> Consider preflop bet sizes
> Limp less
> Stop being so f'ing passive with AK
> Be more aggro generally. I got the T part last night but not the AG
GL
Saturday 4 July 2009
New Leaf?
Well I took a bit of time out after going bust early in the week, as usual, and just thought about why I did that.
The only "explanation" is that its just such a small, insignificant roll, thus, I couldn't give a rats arse. Also, I built it up from $2 so I never really respected it, as it was all profit. I know its kind of backward logic but I think I take more care if I have put a lot of my own money on the line..
Anyway, been there, done that, got the t-shirt. Bottom line is I am a complete degen.
Nonetheless, it was a matter of days before I deposited again..
I put on $82 but used $33 for a tournament. It didn't go that well, I made some pretty nasty plays but eventually lost the stack I had built up (same old) and busted out half way in or so.
So, down to about $50 I elect to grind the $3 18mans/45mans. I saw thats what Jon was doing and began to think that grinding the crap out of 2c/5c and 5c/10c is ultra boring. Despite beating 10NL for 12bb/100 when I was properly grinding last year, its just so so incredibly boring.
Equally, I was killing the $1 45mans for a 70% ROI over 120 games. Again, sitting there for an hour and a half trying to win $14 is a bit of a kick in the balls, but $42 for the $3 aint so bad!
Anyway, had a session or two with Jon yesterday, got it up to $70 and had another one this morning. 6-tabling : 3 18 mans, 3 45 mans
Came 1st, 3rd, 5th in 18mans and 4th in a 45man...roll up to $98.
Obviously I have said it a billion times but I guess we'll see where it goes, what happens and how long I can keep it up. Was generally quite pleased cos I was running horrifically (honestly), losing so many races, I should have final tabled all of the 45mans but lost 2 crucial flips in a row when chip leader on the other and just couldnt get anything going on the other. Still, on the 45man I came 4th in I went from uber short stack to uber big stack in about 6 hands so ran goot there..
On the live front...2 bullets obviously isn't enough to properly equip myself but I introduced a mate of mine to the Vic about 6 weeks ago, he sunk £100 on a hideous play and is generally more of a wannabee, tilts like nobody's business and just thinks he belongs in Vegas. Anyhoo, he plays at the Vic 6 times a week now and is making on average £330 a week.
He wants another £400 then he is going to play 1/2 at the Empire, as, in his opinion, they are "soft". I said "dont be greedy, £330 per week for 20 hrs work is good for a 20yr old.. Its very easy to lose a lot at the Empire cos they aint poker players, they are gamblers" He won't listen..
Either way, I want a piece of that action, by my estimations I am £630 up from the Vic, having been 9 times.
(£110 in tournament buy ins lost, went bust on cash once (£80), had one break even sesh, otherwise every cash session was positive)
So I am going to try and go once this weekend but DEFINATELY going weds, thurs, fri next week. Hit it for 7pm, get last tube home at midnight, or I cash out when +£100
Aiming to earn £1000 per month, then I can quit work and get a part time job doing easy stuff and actually fooking enjoy the summer. The only problem is I would like to use the winnings to roll myself, but I also need to pay the rent!...
We'll see, targets are one thing, doing it is another altogether
The only "explanation" is that its just such a small, insignificant roll, thus, I couldn't give a rats arse. Also, I built it up from $2 so I never really respected it, as it was all profit. I know its kind of backward logic but I think I take more care if I have put a lot of my own money on the line..
Anyway, been there, done that, got the t-shirt. Bottom line is I am a complete degen.
Nonetheless, it was a matter of days before I deposited again..
I put on $82 but used $33 for a tournament. It didn't go that well, I made some pretty nasty plays but eventually lost the stack I had built up (same old) and busted out half way in or so.
So, down to about $50 I elect to grind the $3 18mans/45mans. I saw thats what Jon was doing and began to think that grinding the crap out of 2c/5c and 5c/10c is ultra boring. Despite beating 10NL for 12bb/100 when I was properly grinding last year, its just so so incredibly boring.
Equally, I was killing the $1 45mans for a 70% ROI over 120 games. Again, sitting there for an hour and a half trying to win $14 is a bit of a kick in the balls, but $42 for the $3 aint so bad!
Anyway, had a session or two with Jon yesterday, got it up to $70 and had another one this morning. 6-tabling : 3 18 mans, 3 45 mans
Came 1st, 3rd, 5th in 18mans and 4th in a 45man...roll up to $98.
Obviously I have said it a billion times but I guess we'll see where it goes, what happens and how long I can keep it up. Was generally quite pleased cos I was running horrifically (honestly), losing so many races, I should have final tabled all of the 45mans but lost 2 crucial flips in a row when chip leader on the other and just couldnt get anything going on the other. Still, on the 45man I came 4th in I went from uber short stack to uber big stack in about 6 hands so ran goot there..
On the live front...2 bullets obviously isn't enough to properly equip myself but I introduced a mate of mine to the Vic about 6 weeks ago, he sunk £100 on a hideous play and is generally more of a wannabee, tilts like nobody's business and just thinks he belongs in Vegas. Anyhoo, he plays at the Vic 6 times a week now and is making on average £330 a week.
He wants another £400 then he is going to play 1/2 at the Empire, as, in his opinion, they are "soft". I said "dont be greedy, £330 per week for 20 hrs work is good for a 20yr old.. Its very easy to lose a lot at the Empire cos they aint poker players, they are gamblers" He won't listen..
Either way, I want a piece of that action, by my estimations I am £630 up from the Vic, having been 9 times.
(£110 in tournament buy ins lost, went bust on cash once (£80), had one break even sesh, otherwise every cash session was positive)
So I am going to try and go once this weekend but DEFINATELY going weds, thurs, fri next week. Hit it for 7pm, get last tube home at midnight, or I cash out when +£100
Aiming to earn £1000 per month, then I can quit work and get a part time job doing easy stuff and actually fooking enjoy the summer. The only problem is I would like to use the winnings to roll myself, but I also need to pay the rent!...
We'll see, targets are one thing, doing it is another altogether
Wednesday 1 July 2009
New Leaf......NAAAAAAT
Well, I reckon my last post was what...3/3.5 hours ago?
A lot can happen in that time.
I went bust.
Sat down as normal, played a few hands of 2c/5c...
AA < QQ
KK
50/1
Not much better.
Sat down with $30 having dropped $10 on 5NL.
Was a 6-handed table, where the biggest stack was $50. i.e. everyone was tilting like mo' fo's.
Got some guys $14, went up to $56. Oh no, not good enough for me.
2 big stacks join. I make a sick sick bluff with 3h4h, one of my greatest moments in poker. Was down at $38, got back up to $56.
I unchecked auto post and was going to go.
Last hand
8c
9c
OH MAMA.
8c9c. aka ze nuts
I raise to $3, button calls. BB makes it $13 to go.
Now I wanted to leave with $50 so I could have ran there and live to fight another day.
My thought process as an aspiring poker player..
Ok, 8c9c. Looks sexy suited.
Probably behind.
Wait, I can outplay him with 34, so 89 and I am in!
He must have AK, no royals and I win this hand.
Its sooted, god they look good.
I AM SURE I AM HITTING A STRAIGHT FLUSH
Ok, I call.
Flop, 578...two spades.
He bets the pot.
Thought process?
LOL, FIST PUMP CALL, HE IS BULLYING THE SHORT STACK WITH AK.
Turn?
As
River? was tilting at that point so didnt look.
Showdown? Well, he had 99.
Analysis of the hand?
ogigeqrwgno[IUHIUFHIUHIFH992YH39H9NNDKnbfbfoiFGOgigf9
I RUN SO BAD
(seriously...why am i going to invest £300, i can't keep hold of the $2 i worked up to $50. A higher financial threshold just means it ends in tears).
Can't wait
A lot can happen in that time.
I went bust.
Sat down as normal, played a few hands of 2c/5c...
AA < QQ
KK
50/1
Not much better.
Sat down with $30 having dropped $10 on 5NL.
Was a 6-handed table, where the biggest stack was $50. i.e. everyone was tilting like mo' fo's.
Got some guys $14, went up to $56. Oh no, not good enough for me.
2 big stacks join. I make a sick sick bluff with 3h4h, one of my greatest moments in poker. Was down at $38, got back up to $56.
I unchecked auto post and was going to go.
Last hand
8c
9c
OH MAMA.
8c9c. aka ze nuts
I raise to $3, button calls. BB makes it $13 to go.
Now I wanted to leave with $50 so I could have ran there and live to fight another day.
My thought process as an aspiring poker player..
Ok, 8c9c. Looks sexy suited.
Probably behind.
Wait, I can outplay him with 34, so 89 and I am in!
He must have AK, no royals and I win this hand.
Its sooted, god they look good.
I AM SURE I AM HITTING A STRAIGHT FLUSH
Ok, I call.
Flop, 578...two spades.
He bets the pot.
Thought process?
LOL, FIST PUMP CALL, HE IS BULLYING THE SHORT STACK WITH AK.
Turn?
As
River? was tilting at that point so didnt look.
Showdown? Well, he had 99.
Analysis of the hand?
ogigeqrwgno[IUHIUFHIUHIFH992YH39H9NNDKnbfbfoiFGOgigf9
I RUN SO BAD
(seriously...why am i going to invest £300, i can't keep hold of the $2 i worked up to $50. A higher financial threshold just means it ends in tears).
Can't wait
Pastures New
Well, I still have nothing to blog about on the poker front but I have at least thought about it a fair bit in the past 24 hours....
Firstly, I have thought a lot more about the summer and plans etc. I have worked out that if I don't go on anymore holidays, don't miss anymore work and remain loyal to the end of my contract up until its expiration at the end of September, I will have (inc. incoming loan) 85% of £10k in my current account. However, this is a fantasy figure cos I don't take into account ANY expenses, just sounds way better without it! Either way, it has become clear why I am continuing to bother getting out of bed at 7am every morning!
Coupled with the fact that I would have hoped all my mates would be working by August..its kind of pointless. Nothing happens really and anything that is planned on the weekends I can make my way back for.
I also have to go to Greece at least once but it is my intention to go twice, so that can act as my little get-away. I don't imagine anyone from home will come down and visit so I kind of thought, harshly, why should I chuck away thousands of pounds only to be disappointed when I get back to Shropshire. I had to remind myself that there is a reason I dislike going back there in the first place...
Anyway, London is 33 degrees today so who the fook wants to give that up?!
Conclusion: enjoy the time I have in London with girlfriend cos she goes again in 3 weeks and I only end up getting more irritated when she isn't here. Chin up and just get on with work. Less than 3 weeks in and I will have already achieved one bonus by tomorrow and have 27 days in hand to get it...I am an absolute pro at life. Try and arrange stuff with mates wherever possible and go back on the weekends.
On the poker front, given the positive financial situation I have opened doors for myself. However, I am not going to be stupid and throw money at it cos thats what gets you into trouble and I also dont have the ability to beat higher stakes than what I do actually play i.e. 50/1 and maybe 1/2.
So, my plan? I am giving myself a £300 poker roll until Christmas. £300 is the maximum amount of money I will invest in poker between now and the end of the year (2009). On January 01 2010 I will review the situation and make another decision at that point.
The breakdown? I shall leave myself £140 for live, which gives me 2 bullets for 50/1 at the Vic, which I KNOW I can earn money off (ONE MORE TIME!) I just hope that those 2 bullets become useful from the off, otherwise I can't afford to keep going back, so lets hope I go on a heater...
With the £140 I want to turn that into £600 by October 1st and then start to play 1 tournament a week (max buy in £30) at either The International or Vic. Hit the Vic cash games only (50/1) and go there 2-3 times a week, as of the end of July.
Online...I will deposit £160 on 23rd July, which will top up the existing money I have on there. The deposit will be on Stars and I am going to play 2c/5c and 5c/10c only, no tournaments. I will 6 table max and grind my way up to $500. At $500 I intend to deposit on a different site with rakeback and deposit bonus..possibly paradise.
By Oct 1st I want to have the roll up to £400.
These are my initial plans but the bottom line is to have a £1000 poker roll by October 1st, from a £300 starting figure.
No money will be deposited into that account other than the £300. The figure has been carefully thought out cos I should never need to withdraw the money to help with rent or whatever and imo its a sufficient amount to go places with and start out with.
Here's to hoping! GL
Firstly, I have thought a lot more about the summer and plans etc. I have worked out that if I don't go on anymore holidays, don't miss anymore work and remain loyal to the end of my contract up until its expiration at the end of September, I will have (inc. incoming loan) 85% of £10k in my current account. However, this is a fantasy figure cos I don't take into account ANY expenses, just sounds way better without it! Either way, it has become clear why I am continuing to bother getting out of bed at 7am every morning!
Coupled with the fact that I would have hoped all my mates would be working by August..its kind of pointless. Nothing happens really and anything that is planned on the weekends I can make my way back for.
I also have to go to Greece at least once but it is my intention to go twice, so that can act as my little get-away. I don't imagine anyone from home will come down and visit so I kind of thought, harshly, why should I chuck away thousands of pounds only to be disappointed when I get back to Shropshire. I had to remind myself that there is a reason I dislike going back there in the first place...
Anyway, London is 33 degrees today so who the fook wants to give that up?!
Conclusion: enjoy the time I have in London with girlfriend cos she goes again in 3 weeks and I only end up getting more irritated when she isn't here. Chin up and just get on with work. Less than 3 weeks in and I will have already achieved one bonus by tomorrow and have 27 days in hand to get it...I am an absolute pro at life. Try and arrange stuff with mates wherever possible and go back on the weekends.
On the poker front, given the positive financial situation I have opened doors for myself. However, I am not going to be stupid and throw money at it cos thats what gets you into trouble and I also dont have the ability to beat higher stakes than what I do actually play i.e. 50/1 and maybe 1/2.
So, my plan? I am giving myself a £300 poker roll until Christmas. £300 is the maximum amount of money I will invest in poker between now and the end of the year (2009). On January 01 2010 I will review the situation and make another decision at that point.
The breakdown? I shall leave myself £140 for live, which gives me 2 bullets for 50/1 at the Vic, which I KNOW I can earn money off (ONE MORE TIME!) I just hope that those 2 bullets become useful from the off, otherwise I can't afford to keep going back, so lets hope I go on a heater...
With the £140 I want to turn that into £600 by October 1st and then start to play 1 tournament a week (max buy in £30) at either The International or Vic. Hit the Vic cash games only (50/1) and go there 2-3 times a week, as of the end of July.
Online...I will deposit £160 on 23rd July, which will top up the existing money I have on there. The deposit will be on Stars and I am going to play 2c/5c and 5c/10c only, no tournaments. I will 6 table max and grind my way up to $500. At $500 I intend to deposit on a different site with rakeback and deposit bonus..possibly paradise.
By Oct 1st I want to have the roll up to £400.
These are my initial plans but the bottom line is to have a £1000 poker roll by October 1st, from a £300 starting figure.
No money will be deposited into that account other than the £300. The figure has been carefully thought out cos I should never need to withdraw the money to help with rent or whatever and imo its a sufficient amount to go places with and start out with.
Here's to hoping! GL
Monday 29 June 2009
Monday's suck!
Well my last post was pretty downbeat I guess and I ended up questioning the meaning of life, as I frequently do! I discussed it with my old man, my mum, my best mate and my girlfriend, all of whom gave me slightly and very different responses! TY!
The younger of the quadrant took the line "you are only 20 once". The elder, unsurprisingly, went with "you are growing up, you just want it all and thats impossible". My mum was, however, more sympathetic.
Anyway, I think I got the sympathy vote in the end, as I get the car down here for 3 weeks while my parents sod off to Bulgaria. That makes me slightly happier as I can, at any moment, jump in the car and go to see mates or just chill at home (albeit alone again but in a different and more chilled environment).
I have given it some more thought and will continue to do so but if I stick at it I can earn ridiculous amounts of money (for someone in my position) this summer, as well as giving myself a good pedestal to work from with future employment. It will enable me to do so so much more next summer. Plus, I generally get the impression that a lot of these things end up being all talk anyway i.e. "omg this summer is gonna be so immense, gonna do this this that and that". Well great yeh, would love it but I could jack in a well paid job, lose a flat or pay through the nose to keep it and then nobody, me included, has any money to do anything anyway! Would sooner pay for everyone's train fares to come and crash at mine for the weekend...
So yeh, for now, I shall stick at it but I have a ton of other stuff to figure out anyway. Sky + is being installed on Friday though so things are on the up! WOO!
On the poker front, lost AQ against A8 for a big stack in the 250k last night, on Stars. Pretty standard and all the rest of it but annoying cos I would almost definately have cashed again and could have gone deeper..Still, maybe a blessing in disguise cos I felt like horseshit this morning and I didn't even play beyond the 11pm mark...:S
Going to make a point of heading to the Vic this week, as soon as I get ze money clear in my account. Also in the process of setting up a second student overdraft account, purely for poker...gonna set myself up for it in September, now I know where I am.
Hopefully this blog will turn back into pure poker talk soon! Its been pretty shit cos I haven't had a chance to play, went straight onto the London Eye after work so drained yet again but my body clock is still on Tenerife hours :(
Anyway, the post-holiday depression fazes are fading so hopefully by the end of the week I'll be playing considerably more!!! GL
The younger of the quadrant took the line "you are only 20 once". The elder, unsurprisingly, went with "you are growing up, you just want it all and thats impossible". My mum was, however, more sympathetic.
Anyway, I think I got the sympathy vote in the end, as I get the car down here for 3 weeks while my parents sod off to Bulgaria. That makes me slightly happier as I can, at any moment, jump in the car and go to see mates or just chill at home (albeit alone again but in a different and more chilled environment).
I have given it some more thought and will continue to do so but if I stick at it I can earn ridiculous amounts of money (for someone in my position) this summer, as well as giving myself a good pedestal to work from with future employment. It will enable me to do so so much more next summer. Plus, I generally get the impression that a lot of these things end up being all talk anyway i.e. "omg this summer is gonna be so immense, gonna do this this that and that". Well great yeh, would love it but I could jack in a well paid job, lose a flat or pay through the nose to keep it and then nobody, me included, has any money to do anything anyway! Would sooner pay for everyone's train fares to come and crash at mine for the weekend...
So yeh, for now, I shall stick at it but I have a ton of other stuff to figure out anyway. Sky + is being installed on Friday though so things are on the up! WOO!
On the poker front, lost AQ against A8 for a big stack in the 250k last night, on Stars. Pretty standard and all the rest of it but annoying cos I would almost definately have cashed again and could have gone deeper..Still, maybe a blessing in disguise cos I felt like horseshit this morning and I didn't even play beyond the 11pm mark...:S
Going to make a point of heading to the Vic this week, as soon as I get ze money clear in my account. Also in the process of setting up a second student overdraft account, purely for poker...gonna set myself up for it in September, now I know where I am.
Hopefully this blog will turn back into pure poker talk soon! Its been pretty shit cos I haven't had a chance to play, went straight onto the London Eye after work so drained yet again but my body clock is still on Tenerife hours :(
Anyway, the post-holiday depression fazes are fading so hopefully by the end of the week I'll be playing considerably more!!! GL
Saturday 27 June 2009
Reality Check
Back in London after a truly immense week in Tenerife.
Was quite easily the best week I have ever had, day after day it just got better. Unfortunately by the end I was physically drained...all the early starts with work and all nighters in Tenerife caught up with me come Wednesday.
Thought a lot about it in the 24 hours that I have been back, which I guess is pretty standard having just got back from holiday. However, during that time I had a couple of conversations with a couple of different mates that touched on the fact that I have "grown up" a bit early. Living with girlfriend at 20, privately renting my own flat, working 8.30-7pm in a business consultancy firm, putting money aside for various ventures I would like to implement. Thinking about the future. The feedback from those mates was generally positive and perhaps admirable.
However, I have since had a similar conversation with the mrs, she has no idea where she will be in a years time or two, thus putting the future of our relationship in complete jeopardy and uncertainty. I took this as a complete insult as I am effectively working 10 hour days to enable us to live together (obv for my own gain too but without me working we wouldn't be living together. Too long a story to explain...) I have made two MASSIVE, life-changing decisions based on her. Am I a mug I thought? Am I a nit and thinking too far ahead and should live for today?
Well, I have now been sitting listening to boom boom shake shake now drop for the past hour and come up with a few more short term plans.
1) Last week saw me be the happiest I have been since Brighton, July 2007, arguably.
2) I have seen my mates as a group like that less than 5 times since then
3) My brother is 15 and his mates are more of a brother to him
4) I rarely see my parents and I used to be INSANELY family orientated
5) My parents moved house in Dec 2008 and I have stayed in that house for less than 13 nights and never consecutively for more than 4 (worked it out)
6) Effort > Reward in terms of my relationship. I also put in more than she does (arrogant)
Basically, I am going to think some more over the next week so its not a knee-jerk reaction but I am SERIOUSLY considering jacking in work this week, working my notice, ending tenancy on flat (perhaps) or just paying for it and being skint and fucking off back home to Shropshire to see family and mates, those that matter. London mates are temporary and are effectively a poor substitute.
I am 20, practically. I will never be 20 again. Guess thats the bottom line.
On the poker front, did alright sn the home games, up until the last game, which had a higher buy in, putting me into a minor minor loss for the week. Plus note is that Jon won. Not sure how thats a plus for me but whatever!
Weren't quite as intent or proper as they once were but they were a laugh nonetheless.
Gonna try and satellite into a few sunday majors tomorrow and then play a few hands on ze cash.
Otherwise, nothing to report! GL
Was quite easily the best week I have ever had, day after day it just got better. Unfortunately by the end I was physically drained...all the early starts with work and all nighters in Tenerife caught up with me come Wednesday.
Thought a lot about it in the 24 hours that I have been back, which I guess is pretty standard having just got back from holiday. However, during that time I had a couple of conversations with a couple of different mates that touched on the fact that I have "grown up" a bit early. Living with girlfriend at 20, privately renting my own flat, working 8.30-7pm in a business consultancy firm, putting money aside for various ventures I would like to implement. Thinking about the future. The feedback from those mates was generally positive and perhaps admirable.
However, I have since had a similar conversation with the mrs, she has no idea where she will be in a years time or two, thus putting the future of our relationship in complete jeopardy and uncertainty. I took this as a complete insult as I am effectively working 10 hour days to enable us to live together (obv for my own gain too but without me working we wouldn't be living together. Too long a story to explain...) I have made two MASSIVE, life-changing decisions based on her. Am I a mug I thought? Am I a nit and thinking too far ahead and should live for today?
Well, I have now been sitting listening to boom boom shake shake now drop for the past hour and come up with a few more short term plans.
1) Last week saw me be the happiest I have been since Brighton, July 2007, arguably.
2) I have seen my mates as a group like that less than 5 times since then
3) My brother is 15 and his mates are more of a brother to him
4) I rarely see my parents and I used to be INSANELY family orientated
5) My parents moved house in Dec 2008 and I have stayed in that house for less than 13 nights and never consecutively for more than 4 (worked it out)
6) Effort > Reward in terms of my relationship. I also put in more than she does (arrogant)
Basically, I am going to think some more over the next week so its not a knee-jerk reaction but I am SERIOUSLY considering jacking in work this week, working my notice, ending tenancy on flat (perhaps) or just paying for it and being skint and fucking off back home to Shropshire to see family and mates, those that matter. London mates are temporary and are effectively a poor substitute.
I am 20, practically. I will never be 20 again. Guess thats the bottom line.
On the poker front, did alright sn the home games, up until the last game, which had a higher buy in, putting me into a minor minor loss for the week. Plus note is that Jon won. Not sure how thats a plus for me but whatever!
Weren't quite as intent or proper as they once were but they were a laugh nonetheless.
Gonna try and satellite into a few sunday majors tomorrow and then play a few hands on ze cash.
Otherwise, nothing to report! GL
Thursday 18 June 2009
To the promised land....
Well, I am off. Shortly leaving to go to Manchester before jetting off to Tenerife for a week, absolutely pumped!
I am hoping and perhaps expecting that me and Jon take a trip to a casino while we are out there, something different and maybe make some spending money from the Spanish or drunk tourists!
If not, i am 100% confident that there will be numerous home games, albeit for insignificant amounts. Looking forward to that..just chilling on the balcony playing some cards, we haven't done it for ages.
Haven't played on Stars since my last post now but I still managed to watch my roll grow..
As you know I got into the final 2000 or so of the $250k the other night for a $21 cash. Well I got an email from Stars and they cocked it up a bit. Had some sort of defect during the tournament but in a nutshell...I moved up the standings by about 100 places, thus taking me into the next payout level. Obviously it was a relatively insignificant amount but it takes my roll up to $45.
Absolutely chuffed to bits with that and my ability to steer clear of rampaging. In days gone by that would now have got my 2 min sit downs on 50/1 and see where I can go! Happy I haven't done that. Although I am kind of tempted to see where I can get with it, particularly as the roll has been grinded from literally nothing so any loss is completely ineffective on a psychological level.
Hopefully have moments on the holiday to chill and think a bit about poker and chat about it with Jon so maybe when I am back there will be a new post with some clear direction to it.
GL!
I am hoping and perhaps expecting that me and Jon take a trip to a casino while we are out there, something different and maybe make some spending money from the Spanish or drunk tourists!
If not, i am 100% confident that there will be numerous home games, albeit for insignificant amounts. Looking forward to that..just chilling on the balcony playing some cards, we haven't done it for ages.
Haven't played on Stars since my last post now but I still managed to watch my roll grow..
As you know I got into the final 2000 or so of the $250k the other night for a $21 cash. Well I got an email from Stars and they cocked it up a bit. Had some sort of defect during the tournament but in a nutshell...I moved up the standings by about 100 places, thus taking me into the next payout level. Obviously it was a relatively insignificant amount but it takes my roll up to $45.
Absolutely chuffed to bits with that and my ability to steer clear of rampaging. In days gone by that would now have got my 2 min sit downs on 50/1 and see where I can go! Happy I haven't done that. Although I am kind of tempted to see where I can get with it, particularly as the roll has been grinded from literally nothing so any loss is completely ineffective on a psychological level.
Hopefully have moments on the holiday to chill and think a bit about poker and chat about it with Jon so maybe when I am back there will be a new post with some clear direction to it.
GL!
Monday 15 June 2009
A Mixed Day
Well today was extremely odd, it had more highs and lows than a pole vault..
On the one hand I got paid at work, which was basically my wages from last week plus my wages until I get back from Tenerife, so it was a handsome amount. Also got a bit of a windfall in other areas so on a personal financial level things are looking on the up.
However, having some trouble with landlords (who doesn't) so now just got another thing added to my to-do-list and after working a 10 hour day the last thing I want to do is then go and worry about something else. Then the girlfriend pisses me off and I generally enter one of my moods and just think about anything and everything, (what am i doing here, why am i working and everyone else having fun, am i too 'old' and 'serious' in my own mind, is she right for me, what if results go bad again etc etc etc..just go on a life crash course sort of thing in a few hours). Then work piled on a massive set of targets in relation to this project. On the one hand I love this cos they have put a lot of trust in me, having been there a week or so, so I think they are pleased with me and I like that they think I am commercially aware, stands me in good stead. On the other hand its just tonnes of stress. Wanted to play a lot of poker this summer but its just not happening. Seriously looking forward to Thursday and just getting away, as much as I will probably come back more tired than when I go out there, I think I'll feel strangely relaxed.
Anyway, ended up playing for an hour or so tonight. Firstly booted up 2c/5c and played a few hands, sunk $5 when some guy 2 outered me, just turned it off at that point..already in a bad mood so just though fuck it. Then Jack asked if I wanted to play a few hands, so I did. Loaded up 1c/2c and did alright..earnt about $7! So now the roll is up to $40! wooop. Comical watching Jack stack off as well, after he thought he was durrr, lovely stuff.
GL and hopefully tomorrow will be a more upbeat post! Oh and congrats to Jon for going deeeep, again, in the $5r last night. Your day will come, again, sir. When you roll yourself it will come quicker..
On the one hand I got paid at work, which was basically my wages from last week plus my wages until I get back from Tenerife, so it was a handsome amount. Also got a bit of a windfall in other areas so on a personal financial level things are looking on the up.
However, having some trouble with landlords (who doesn't) so now just got another thing added to my to-do-list and after working a 10 hour day the last thing I want to do is then go and worry about something else. Then the girlfriend pisses me off and I generally enter one of my moods and just think about anything and everything, (what am i doing here, why am i working and everyone else having fun, am i too 'old' and 'serious' in my own mind, is she right for me, what if results go bad again etc etc etc..just go on a life crash course sort of thing in a few hours). Then work piled on a massive set of targets in relation to this project. On the one hand I love this cos they have put a lot of trust in me, having been there a week or so, so I think they are pleased with me and I like that they think I am commercially aware, stands me in good stead. On the other hand its just tonnes of stress. Wanted to play a lot of poker this summer but its just not happening. Seriously looking forward to Thursday and just getting away, as much as I will probably come back more tired than when I go out there, I think I'll feel strangely relaxed.
Anyway, ended up playing for an hour or so tonight. Firstly booted up 2c/5c and played a few hands, sunk $5 when some guy 2 outered me, just turned it off at that point..already in a bad mood so just though fuck it. Then Jack asked if I wanted to play a few hands, so I did. Loaded up 1c/2c and did alright..earnt about $7! So now the roll is up to $40! wooop. Comical watching Jack stack off as well, after he thought he was durrr, lovely stuff.
GL and hopefully tomorrow will be a more upbeat post! Oh and congrats to Jon for going deeeep, again, in the $5r last night. Your day will come, again, sir. When you roll yourself it will come quicker..
Sunday 14 June 2009
$250k!
Well thanks to Jon I gave into temptation and played the Sunday $250k on Stars, having grinded a bit this afternoon.
Had a nice session on 2c/5c and got the roll up to $16, then my soft spot for tournaments got the better of me. HOWEVER, I did satellite in (otherwise the $11 buy in would be a stupid move).
So, despite making a hideous hideous play to bust out I managed to cash for $21 and bust in 2000 odd. Tournament seemed to go faster than memory though, which I found irritating. Had a nice stack at a couple of points in the tournament but average was increasing rapidly. Had already reached the min cash levels at the 2nd break! Sure that never used to be the case...
Unfortunately I was railing Jon in his tournaments and completely took my eye off the ball, just played the hand all wrong and went busto. This is something else I need to work on cos I can go deep in tournaments, I can build up stacks early on but then I just let myself go, got music on or railing Jon and just end up losing complete focus. Or, I don't have the balls to follow my instinct and make the RIGHT play. Still, I think actually having a roll as such will help with this. Obviously I don't really have one now but by the end of the summer I hope to have enough to make a decent deposit and play some good poker and get a good sample size in. More on that later though!
When I bust out of a tournament that I am rolled for I think I could learn more from it rather than worry about the money I just spanked.
Anyway, back to the real grind of work tomorrow so best leave it at that for the night. Roll up to $37 though, which I am really happy about. Hopefully be able to get a few more hands in before Tenerife and then make a sizeable deposit when I get back!
GL
Had a nice session on 2c/5c and got the roll up to $16, then my soft spot for tournaments got the better of me. HOWEVER, I did satellite in (otherwise the $11 buy in would be a stupid move).
So, despite making a hideous hideous play to bust out I managed to cash for $21 and bust in 2000 odd. Tournament seemed to go faster than memory though, which I found irritating. Had a nice stack at a couple of points in the tournament but average was increasing rapidly. Had already reached the min cash levels at the 2nd break! Sure that never used to be the case...
Unfortunately I was railing Jon in his tournaments and completely took my eye off the ball, just played the hand all wrong and went busto. This is something else I need to work on cos I can go deep in tournaments, I can build up stacks early on but then I just let myself go, got music on or railing Jon and just end up losing complete focus. Or, I don't have the balls to follow my instinct and make the RIGHT play. Still, I think actually having a roll as such will help with this. Obviously I don't really have one now but by the end of the summer I hope to have enough to make a decent deposit and play some good poker and get a good sample size in. More on that later though!
When I bust out of a tournament that I am rolled for I think I could learn more from it rather than worry about the money I just spanked.
Anyway, back to the real grind of work tomorrow so best leave it at that for the night. Roll up to $37 though, which I am really happy about. Hopefully be able to get a few more hands in before Tenerife and then make a sizeable deposit when I get back!
GL
Afternoon session..
Managed to squeeze a few hours in this morning in between running a few errands and what not.
"Roll" is now up to $16! What a grind.. Being really good about it though, thinking about each and every hand (hard to do when you're playing 2c/5c!) and not slamming the $16 down on 50nl or entering some tournament. Hopefully my persistence will pay off...
Came very close to registering for tonight's 250k mind you!
Praying that I get some good news next Monday, results wise, then I will get a bit of a windfall and intend to hit the Vic with it. Got a weeks wages under my belt now too, just a shame my rent has to be paid on Friday :(. Basically all a bit of a mess on the financial front so it has a knock-on effect on poker...unable to play at the level I want to be playing at! Still, I left the $3 on there cos it allows me to get my "fix" and play a few hands in the evenings after work. Will continue to do that until money or time at my disposal increases!
Going to have another session later but for the last 2 weeks I've been living like an absolute bachelor so the place is a tip and needs sorting before the mrs returns whilst I am in Tenerife.. Damn responsibilities suck. Degen day and night plz....
"Roll" is now up to $16! What a grind.. Being really good about it though, thinking about each and every hand (hard to do when you're playing 2c/5c!) and not slamming the $16 down on 50nl or entering some tournament. Hopefully my persistence will pay off...
Came very close to registering for tonight's 250k mind you!
Praying that I get some good news next Monday, results wise, then I will get a bit of a windfall and intend to hit the Vic with it. Got a weeks wages under my belt now too, just a shame my rent has to be paid on Friday :(. Basically all a bit of a mess on the financial front so it has a knock-on effect on poker...unable to play at the level I want to be playing at! Still, I left the $3 on there cos it allows me to get my "fix" and play a few hands in the evenings after work. Will continue to do that until money or time at my disposal increases!
Going to have another session later but for the last 2 weeks I've been living like an absolute bachelor so the place is a tip and needs sorting before the mrs returns whilst I am in Tenerife.. Damn responsibilities suck. Degen day and night plz....
Saturday 13 June 2009
What to do?
Well this weekend wasn't as productive as one would have hoped, on the poker front at least.
I had a little session on Friday and it was actually a losing session..down to about $12 (god it tilts me when I only enter two digits for a roll).
I planned to have a relaxing weekend, spend no money, get ready for Tenerife and refresh myself for work again on Monday. Well, at 3pm on Friday I checked my uni email and the SU had informed us all that "all stock must go, closing for the summer, all drinks £1". Naturally I felt obliged to support the university in their endeavours! Although, this was only between the hours of 4pm and 10pm and I didn't get there until 8.30pm. Something strangely satisfying about going up to the bar and ordering 9 budweisers though, AND getting change from the £10 I paid with!!
So after that we headed to the greatest place on earth-Brick Lane and 'Exit'. Most immense bar playing nothing but awesome house music. Love it. However, a bunch of other mates met us but weren't allowed in cos there was too large a group of them, so we went to another bar, had a few rounds of shots. I mention this cos it was funny..4 of the group bought a round of sambucca for us all. We each paid a different price everytime. Hilarious. Ended up having a prop bet at what the girls in the group could get it for.
Then we went on a mission to find this bar we know of, which remains open until sunrise and beyond (current place shut at 2). We found it! At 6am I proceeded to bargain with a taxi driver and go home.
The bottom line...today was a write off, damn good night though!
Now been invited to the Vic tonight also for a session. Really angry, wish I'd been told yesterday! Made a reluctant decision to decline the invitation :( Didn't feel I would be playing my best and also have so so much to do before the holiday and I am shattered. So, another brief session online beckons...
I had a little session on Friday and it was actually a losing session..down to about $12 (god it tilts me when I only enter two digits for a roll).
I planned to have a relaxing weekend, spend no money, get ready for Tenerife and refresh myself for work again on Monday. Well, at 3pm on Friday I checked my uni email and the SU had informed us all that "all stock must go, closing for the summer, all drinks £1". Naturally I felt obliged to support the university in their endeavours! Although, this was only between the hours of 4pm and 10pm and I didn't get there until 8.30pm. Something strangely satisfying about going up to the bar and ordering 9 budweisers though, AND getting change from the £10 I paid with!!
So after that we headed to the greatest place on earth-Brick Lane and 'Exit'. Most immense bar playing nothing but awesome house music. Love it. However, a bunch of other mates met us but weren't allowed in cos there was too large a group of them, so we went to another bar, had a few rounds of shots. I mention this cos it was funny..4 of the group bought a round of sambucca for us all. We each paid a different price everytime. Hilarious. Ended up having a prop bet at what the girls in the group could get it for.
Then we went on a mission to find this bar we know of, which remains open until sunrise and beyond (current place shut at 2). We found it! At 6am I proceeded to bargain with a taxi driver and go home.
The bottom line...today was a write off, damn good night though!
Now been invited to the Vic tonight also for a session. Really angry, wish I'd been told yesterday! Made a reluctant decision to decline the invitation :( Didn't feel I would be playing my best and also have so so much to do before the holiday and I am shattered. So, another brief session online beckons...
Friday 12 June 2009
The Weekend!!
Well, good news...I'm not in work today so I can spend a full afternoon on the grind. Got a lot to sort out before I go away to Tenerife next week but hoping to get a good 5 hours in this afternoon and see where I can get this $15 up to.
Also got no plans on the weekend, as usual, so looking to slip a good few hours in.
I think this current "bankroll", if you can call it that, is more of an experiment. I am generally getting a feel for 2c/5c and earning as I go. I have never grinded that stake, only 10nl, yet when/if I deposit I think it will be to roll myself for 2c/5c. Like I said before, with work its almost impossible to find the time and energy to play in the morning so I have decided not to deposit anymore until I have more time, which unfortunately may not be until uni starts up again. I would have deposited something in the region of £200, so instead of doing that I think I am going to use that money for more trips to the Vic and the cash games as well as the odd tournament. Also want to enquire more about the Loose Cannon cos I think they have some regular 50NL games down there... Hopefully the feeble amount I do have online can continue to increase, along with my live cash success at the Vic and maybe just maybe, I will stop bubbling tournaments and take something down this summer!!
Its also been frustrating to learn that Jon spanked his latest roll. Having deposited $70 he got it up to $115 I believe before being drawn to $1/$2 cash...again. It lasted a whole 3 days but I am sure we can find some sort of excuse in there somewhere..;)
Funny how we both said that DTD had a big impact on the weekend and this would be a turning point, next.....
Also got no plans on the weekend, as usual, so looking to slip a good few hours in.
I think this current "bankroll", if you can call it that, is more of an experiment. I am generally getting a feel for 2c/5c and earning as I go. I have never grinded that stake, only 10nl, yet when/if I deposit I think it will be to roll myself for 2c/5c. Like I said before, with work its almost impossible to find the time and energy to play in the morning so I have decided not to deposit anymore until I have more time, which unfortunately may not be until uni starts up again. I would have deposited something in the region of £200, so instead of doing that I think I am going to use that money for more trips to the Vic and the cash games as well as the odd tournament. Also want to enquire more about the Loose Cannon cos I think they have some regular 50NL games down there... Hopefully the feeble amount I do have online can continue to increase, along with my live cash success at the Vic and maybe just maybe, I will stop bubbling tournaments and take something down this summer!!
Its also been frustrating to learn that Jon spanked his latest roll. Having deposited $70 he got it up to $115 I believe before being drawn to $1/$2 cash...again. It lasted a whole 3 days but I am sure we can find some sort of excuse in there somewhere..;)
Funny how we both said that DTD had a big impact on the weekend and this would be a turning point, next.....
Week 1
Well due to work I haven't really played that much at all. However, having got up to $13 I had that buzz you always get when your cashier is only heading in one direction. So on Thursday night I put in another half an hour on 2c/5c, this time getting up to $15.
During that time I made an observation. I know it is generally a very soft stake and full of some very bad players. However, in the couple of hours I have now been playing, although a small sample size, I have hardly lost a hand. At the moment I am silver star due to a recent Stars' promotions. On 2c/5c the players seem to like showing everyone the fact that they are bronze stars (despite everyone being so!). I had that feature turned off but I elected to turn it on half way through the "big" session on Tuesday night. I began to notice a difference and was getting more respect.
One player, 'taxituna' seemed to be a bit of a table captain and the aggressor more often than not. He led out in utg +1, with 2 callers from MP, I made a large raise from the button with JTdd and he flat called. The board fell 3c6c3h, he led out. I re-raised and he tanked before folding and telling me he had JJ but felt I had aces or kings. I take that with a pinch of salt obv but it definately became apparent that this guy was unsure about playing me when I am showing that much aggression...I felt the move was right at that time but I also elected to do it because I seemed to be getting more respect and less resistance.
Hopefully I can continue this...
During that time I made an observation. I know it is generally a very soft stake and full of some very bad players. However, in the couple of hours I have now been playing, although a small sample size, I have hardly lost a hand. At the moment I am silver star due to a recent Stars' promotions. On 2c/5c the players seem to like showing everyone the fact that they are bronze stars (despite everyone being so!). I had that feature turned off but I elected to turn it on half way through the "big" session on Tuesday night. I began to notice a difference and was getting more respect.
One player, 'taxituna' seemed to be a bit of a table captain and the aggressor more often than not. He led out in utg +1, with 2 callers from MP, I made a large raise from the button with JTdd and he flat called. The board fell 3c6c3h, he led out. I re-raised and he tanked before folding and telling me he had JJ but felt I had aces or kings. I take that with a pinch of salt obv but it definately became apparent that this guy was unsure about playing me when I am showing that much aggression...I felt the move was right at that time but I also elected to do it because I seemed to be getting more respect and less resistance.
Hopefully I can continue this...
Tuesday 9 June 2009
The Beginning
Its all bad timing really cos I have just started working full-time for a business research and consultancy firm in the heart of London. Unfortunately that means being very adaptable and flexible with timings but generally means I am in the office for 8.30am and leave at 6.30pm. I under-estimated the toll this would have on me but I certainly don't have the energy to go and grind, as I thought I would.
That said, its a damn good wage and there are loads of bonus incentives for me to aim for each month, which I can pump straight into poker as the wage is more than enough for me to live off. There is also one lump sum paid at the end of my contract if I am successful with an exclusive project I have been given.
My thoughts now are to deposit that straight away, or make it my live/online roll in September/October. A big mistake I have always made within poker is not utilising my ability and utilising my rolls that I have had. I am not going to make the same mistake now... Initially I wanted to make a big deposit but I know longer see the point as I won't physically be able to play more than 10-15 hours per week and certainly won't be playing my A-game on the weekends.
So, I had $53 left on Stars and took almost all of it off this evening and just thought I would see if I can get anywhere with the $3. I 1-tabled 2c/5c initially and added tables as I went. I finished the night off 3-tabling and I now have $13.65 to work with. Very happy with that.
2 main hands...flopped trips in a multi-way pot when able to check my option.
Got a set paid off with some donk chasing a gutshot.
Otherwise there were just a lot of limpers and position raises, extremely easy to pick off and just grind my stack up.
Going to have to think about what I am going to do this summer but given my winrate at the Vic I may elect to play there more often, head there straight from work, and put 60% of winnings towards an online roll when I have more time. When I have the urge to play I shall continue to grind this $13 up. See where we go!
Not quite sure yet.
Not going to make any deposit till July though as I am off to Tenerife with the lads next week!! WOOO. Maybe take some foreigners money out there...;)
That said, its a damn good wage and there are loads of bonus incentives for me to aim for each month, which I can pump straight into poker as the wage is more than enough for me to live off. There is also one lump sum paid at the end of my contract if I am successful with an exclusive project I have been given.
My thoughts now are to deposit that straight away, or make it my live/online roll in September/October. A big mistake I have always made within poker is not utilising my ability and utilising my rolls that I have had. I am not going to make the same mistake now... Initially I wanted to make a big deposit but I know longer see the point as I won't physically be able to play more than 10-15 hours per week and certainly won't be playing my A-game on the weekends.
So, I had $53 left on Stars and took almost all of it off this evening and just thought I would see if I can get anywhere with the $3. I 1-tabled 2c/5c initially and added tables as I went. I finished the night off 3-tabling and I now have $13.65 to work with. Very happy with that.
2 main hands...flopped trips in a multi-way pot when able to check my option.
Got a set paid off with some donk chasing a gutshot.
Otherwise there were just a lot of limpers and position raises, extremely easy to pick off and just grind my stack up.
Going to have to think about what I am going to do this summer but given my winrate at the Vic I may elect to play there more often, head there straight from work, and put 60% of winnings towards an online roll when I have more time. When I have the urge to play I shall continue to grind this $13 up. See where we go!
Not quite sure yet.
Not going to make any deposit till July though as I am off to Tenerife with the lads next week!! WOOO. Maybe take some foreigners money out there...;)
Monday 8 June 2009
History
Ok, rewind.
I basically got into poker through home games, which showed modest success for me. I imagine I was up about £150-180 from £5-£15 games with 6/7 players over late 2006-2007.
Things progressed from there and I then started playing at Riley's. I played 3/4 times I think and made the final table once, cashing for about £50, from a £10 buy-in.
Soon after I made my first deposit online and this quickly developed in to trying out multiple sites. However, I never really made a substantial deposit or took it seriously. I made a few £20 deposits here and there, with the majority just wasted being stupid. A year into it I made a "big" deposit on Stars, it was only £100. Again, it pretty much went to waste.
At the start of 2008 I imagine I was down £400 or so, at a guess.
I then put £100 on DTD and swore I would make a profit from poker in 2008. I also put $25 on Everest.
I grinded the Everest roll up until I couldn't stand the site anymore. I withdrew $400 from Everest. Nice!
DTD..spanked the £100 but deposited another £100. In June 2008 I withdrew £550 from DTD and it paid for a summer holiday with my girlfriend. That gave me a massive sense of achievement as it was the first time poker did something for me.
During that period I also went to the Vic twice. First time I left the £80 I went in with, there! BUSTO! Second time I turned £70 into £235, via 50/1.
I also FT bubbled £30 F/Os there, twice!!! Damn it.
The relative success had its downsides. I failed my first year in uni, through a combination of reasons but one big one was my determination to play poker. Idiot. Along with the many pain in the backsides from that...it meant I couldn't actually play poker over the summer anyway so everything was a waste. I managed to final table a tournament at Ricoh Arena however, but unfortunately only made a min cash really.
September came round and I was back on it. Between September 2008 and now, I am up about £600 from the Vic, as mentioned before. I had two Stars rolls of about $500 and came 4th in a little £2 mtt on DTD for a few quid. Other than thats its generally been quiet and nothing to speak of other than murdering the uni society games for £30-50 a week! (15 runners, £5r)
I have basically had eighteen months of making a quick buck, withdrawing, spending it on nights out, then going back for me but losing. etc etc etc, going round in circles.
I think I am probably break-even from poker, if I am up, its not by much and likewise if I am down. However, when I have got on the grind I have proven I can beat it, approx 20,000 hands at 10Nl and my winrate is 10BB/100, thats how I got one of the rolls on Stars. When I take a tournament seriously, I do well. But too often I just enter, hope to run good and luckbox my way to a roll.
Shame on me.
Anyway, thats a bit of the history and how I got to where I am. Now I am doing this, there are many people I have spoken to or heard of through others and I guess I admire their attitude towards poker and give me something to aspire to.
Now its my turn.
I basically got into poker through home games, which showed modest success for me. I imagine I was up about £150-180 from £5-£15 games with 6/7 players over late 2006-2007.
Things progressed from there and I then started playing at Riley's. I played 3/4 times I think and made the final table once, cashing for about £50, from a £10 buy-in.
Soon after I made my first deposit online and this quickly developed in to trying out multiple sites. However, I never really made a substantial deposit or took it seriously. I made a few £20 deposits here and there, with the majority just wasted being stupid. A year into it I made a "big" deposit on Stars, it was only £100. Again, it pretty much went to waste.
At the start of 2008 I imagine I was down £400 or so, at a guess.
I then put £100 on DTD and swore I would make a profit from poker in 2008. I also put $25 on Everest.
I grinded the Everest roll up until I couldn't stand the site anymore. I withdrew $400 from Everest. Nice!
DTD..spanked the £100 but deposited another £100. In June 2008 I withdrew £550 from DTD and it paid for a summer holiday with my girlfriend. That gave me a massive sense of achievement as it was the first time poker did something for me.
During that period I also went to the Vic twice. First time I left the £80 I went in with, there! BUSTO! Second time I turned £70 into £235, via 50/1.
I also FT bubbled £30 F/Os there, twice!!! Damn it.
The relative success had its downsides. I failed my first year in uni, through a combination of reasons but one big one was my determination to play poker. Idiot. Along with the many pain in the backsides from that...it meant I couldn't actually play poker over the summer anyway so everything was a waste. I managed to final table a tournament at Ricoh Arena however, but unfortunately only made a min cash really.
September came round and I was back on it. Between September 2008 and now, I am up about £600 from the Vic, as mentioned before. I had two Stars rolls of about $500 and came 4th in a little £2 mtt on DTD for a few quid. Other than thats its generally been quiet and nothing to speak of other than murdering the uni society games for £30-50 a week! (15 runners, £5r)
I have basically had eighteen months of making a quick buck, withdrawing, spending it on nights out, then going back for me but losing. etc etc etc, going round in circles.
I think I am probably break-even from poker, if I am up, its not by much and likewise if I am down. However, when I have got on the grind I have proven I can beat it, approx 20,000 hands at 10Nl and my winrate is 10BB/100, thats how I got one of the rolls on Stars. When I take a tournament seriously, I do well. But too often I just enter, hope to run good and luckbox my way to a roll.
Shame on me.
Anyway, thats a bit of the history and how I got to where I am. Now I am doing this, there are many people I have spoken to or heard of through others and I guess I admire their attitude towards poker and give me something to aspire to.
Now its my turn.
DTD
Ok, I am going to work backwards in a way and start with the weekend I just had at DTD.
Firstly, its only my second time there but its a truly incredible place and I highly recommend it to anyone. The people are awesome, the staff are great, the place is immense and the poker is incredible. Everything about it just works so I hope it continues to be supported by everyone!
Unfortunately this weekend didn't go too well on the financial front mind you! Thoroughly enjoyed myself nonetheless and the atmosphere was even better than normal cos of the deepstack weekend.
Anyway, Friday night saw me enter the £25 f/o and then play a bit of 50/1 NL after. Both went awfully. I lasted until about the second break in the tournament, busted out in 60 something (118 runners) but I ran KK into AA early on and never really recovered. Fortunately an A flopped so it only cost me half my stack but still... It was then a case of the odd 3-bet or stealing etc etc, the field at that point let me get away with it. Anyway, card dead so couldn't find a double, closest I came was calling off some LAG's river bet. Board read A T 6 6 6. 4-way and every street was checked with 1 person all in pre. Guy overbet on the river and it was folded to me. He mucked when I showed 99 so I thought things were on the up. Unfortunately a few hands later, with an M of about 8 I shoved K3 in the sb and as per bb wakes up with A rag! Live to fight another day..
50/1 didn't go much better. Lost about £50 on that before I just called it a night. Main hand came when I was up a little. I opened in mid position with 6c8c and the blinds made the call. Flop brought A Q x, 2 clubs. Checked to me, I c-bet and got one caller from the bb. He tanked a lot and checked his cards before making the £9 call so I didnt think he was strong and could get him off it.
Turn brought a second spade. He checks, I bet £18, he tanks and tanks, then calls. I still don't think he's that strong but pray for a club. River brings a spade. This time he insta-checks. I reached for my chips thinking maybe he had a flush draw but then caught him going to grab his. I checked and he flipped QT of spades! Aghhh. Even though I had air it was frustrating...he apologised and said "AK?". "Something like that", I said.
That was the most interesting hand, proceeded to donk off about £30 by failing to go through with my reads. Saturday night we went again, this time having played a bit of roulette, went for 1/2, I sat with £150. The atmosphere was awesome and the games were juicy but again I ran bad. Pleased for Jon though who played some solid poker and was up a buy-in or so.
First hand pretty much spelt disaster. Only 4-handed at this point, everyone limped and I checked my option in the bb. Jon and myself ended up tangling and whilst I had the bottom end of the straight he had the better end! Damn it, why him! Fortunately another guy decided to stack off in the same hand with 2 pair on a damn scary board! Keep em coming..
The biggest hand, that cost me about £70 came against some complete noob to my left. 4-way, all limps. I make the call from the sb with ATo. BB checks. Flop comes down AKJ. I lead out, betting the pot. BB and UTG +1 call. Turn brings a 9. I bet £16 (bad bet I know). BB calls, other folds.
River brings a 9. I'm happy now. The guy raised his blind a couple of times if people limped and he seemed to have a A/K in his hand on the occasions I saw him do this. He also made some pretty horrific post flop plays. Hindsight's a wonderful thing maybe.
Anyway, I bet £25 on the river. Figure I am splitting it at worst now.
He min raises to £50. Not quite sure about this, no way does he have QT there, he would have been more aggressive on the turn based on previous play. Any other 2 pair is counterfeited and I rule out AK/AJ instantly. I elect to call.
He flips T9. You gotta laugh. Another day the Q comes and I have a good night. Agh well!
Finally stacked off when I ran TT into JJ and the door card brought a J. The Vic here we come!
Anyway, despite sinking about £300 with roulette as well this weekend, it taught me a lot and I am determined to continue playing my game, which I think is a winning game and has proved to be in the past.
Shame that whenever I got to Nottingham we have a total degen weekend and it normally results in a loss of money! Never fail to have a good time though..
Firstly, its only my second time there but its a truly incredible place and I highly recommend it to anyone. The people are awesome, the staff are great, the place is immense and the poker is incredible. Everything about it just works so I hope it continues to be supported by everyone!
Unfortunately this weekend didn't go too well on the financial front mind you! Thoroughly enjoyed myself nonetheless and the atmosphere was even better than normal cos of the deepstack weekend.
Anyway, Friday night saw me enter the £25 f/o and then play a bit of 50/1 NL after. Both went awfully. I lasted until about the second break in the tournament, busted out in 60 something (118 runners) but I ran KK into AA early on and never really recovered. Fortunately an A flopped so it only cost me half my stack but still... It was then a case of the odd 3-bet or stealing etc etc, the field at that point let me get away with it. Anyway, card dead so couldn't find a double, closest I came was calling off some LAG's river bet. Board read A T 6 6 6. 4-way and every street was checked with 1 person all in pre. Guy overbet on the river and it was folded to me. He mucked when I showed 99 so I thought things were on the up. Unfortunately a few hands later, with an M of about 8 I shoved K3 in the sb and as per bb wakes up with A rag! Live to fight another day..
50/1 didn't go much better. Lost about £50 on that before I just called it a night. Main hand came when I was up a little. I opened in mid position with 6c8c and the blinds made the call. Flop brought A Q x, 2 clubs. Checked to me, I c-bet and got one caller from the bb. He tanked a lot and checked his cards before making the £9 call so I didnt think he was strong and could get him off it.
Turn brought a second spade. He checks, I bet £18, he tanks and tanks, then calls. I still don't think he's that strong but pray for a club. River brings a spade. This time he insta-checks. I reached for my chips thinking maybe he had a flush draw but then caught him going to grab his. I checked and he flipped QT of spades! Aghhh. Even though I had air it was frustrating...he apologised and said "AK?". "Something like that", I said.
That was the most interesting hand, proceeded to donk off about £30 by failing to go through with my reads. Saturday night we went again, this time having played a bit of roulette, went for 1/2, I sat with £150. The atmosphere was awesome and the games were juicy but again I ran bad. Pleased for Jon though who played some solid poker and was up a buy-in or so.
First hand pretty much spelt disaster. Only 4-handed at this point, everyone limped and I checked my option in the bb. Jon and myself ended up tangling and whilst I had the bottom end of the straight he had the better end! Damn it, why him! Fortunately another guy decided to stack off in the same hand with 2 pair on a damn scary board! Keep em coming..
The biggest hand, that cost me about £70 came against some complete noob to my left. 4-way, all limps. I make the call from the sb with ATo. BB checks. Flop comes down AKJ. I lead out, betting the pot. BB and UTG +1 call. Turn brings a 9. I bet £16 (bad bet I know). BB calls, other folds.
River brings a 9. I'm happy now. The guy raised his blind a couple of times if people limped and he seemed to have a A/K in his hand on the occasions I saw him do this. He also made some pretty horrific post flop plays. Hindsight's a wonderful thing maybe.
Anyway, I bet £25 on the river. Figure I am splitting it at worst now.
He min raises to £50. Not quite sure about this, no way does he have QT there, he would have been more aggressive on the turn based on previous play. Any other 2 pair is counterfeited and I rule out AK/AJ instantly. I elect to call.
He flips T9. You gotta laugh. Another day the Q comes and I have a good night. Agh well!
Finally stacked off when I ran TT into JJ and the door card brought a J. The Vic here we come!
Anyway, despite sinking about £300 with roulette as well this weekend, it taught me a lot and I am determined to continue playing my game, which I think is a winning game and has proved to be in the past.
Shame that whenever I got to Nottingham we have a total degen weekend and it normally results in a loss of money! Never fail to have a good time though..
Sunday 7 June 2009
Stage 1
Myself and a friend have been battling with poker for, I guess, about 18 months now, on a serious basis. By serious I mean playing live in various places and playing online every other day as well as making a conscious effort to educate ourselves via books etc.
However, that mate (Jon-see jonnyke poker), recently described us as still being in "stage 1", hence the name of the title. I have enjoyed relative success in the two years or so I have been playing but one thing I have never had is a poker bankroll as such. I have had 4 quite substantial "rolls" i.e. $500 ish on Stars/Dtd/Everest. 2 of those rolls were legitamately grinded up but the other 2 were as a result of me being foolish and gambling more than playing poker. 2 of the rolls were also spanked as a result of the same thing, whilst the other 2 had to be withdrawn for my own financial reasons.
I have won a couple of tournaments, final tabled the odd one, but never for a big amount (£200 ish max). Cash tables are another thing altogether though, as are small stakes SNGs and HU. This is what I want to concentrate on. I play 50p/£1 at the Vic in London on probably a monthly basis and have showed a net profit of approximately £600, in 12 months. The rolls I legitatmately grinded were through 10Nl and killing $1/$3 45man SNGs for a 70% ROI (120 games). That money was never reinvested though, hence why I am now just taking shots at donkaments or short stacking 50/1 or 1/2 for a so-called "break".
Having had an interesting weekend at DTD with Jon on the weekend, I feel its now crunch time. Having played the game a couple of years I have proven that I can make consistent money and plugged one massive leak in my game-tilt. I am much more controlled now and that can only benefit me.
Let the good times roll. GL.
However, that mate (Jon-see jonnyke poker), recently described us as still being in "stage 1", hence the name of the title. I have enjoyed relative success in the two years or so I have been playing but one thing I have never had is a poker bankroll as such. I have had 4 quite substantial "rolls" i.e. $500 ish on Stars/Dtd/Everest. 2 of those rolls were legitamately grinded up but the other 2 were as a result of me being foolish and gambling more than playing poker. 2 of the rolls were also spanked as a result of the same thing, whilst the other 2 had to be withdrawn for my own financial reasons.
I have won a couple of tournaments, final tabled the odd one, but never for a big amount (£200 ish max). Cash tables are another thing altogether though, as are small stakes SNGs and HU. This is what I want to concentrate on. I play 50p/£1 at the Vic in London on probably a monthly basis and have showed a net profit of approximately £600, in 12 months. The rolls I legitatmately grinded were through 10Nl and killing $1/$3 45man SNGs for a 70% ROI (120 games). That money was never reinvested though, hence why I am now just taking shots at donkaments or short stacking 50/1 or 1/2 for a so-called "break".
Having had an interesting weekend at DTD with Jon on the weekend, I feel its now crunch time. Having played the game a couple of years I have proven that I can make consistent money and plugged one massive leak in my game-tilt. I am much more controlled now and that can only benefit me.
Let the good times roll. GL.
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