Never mind

I'm moving all updates to my other blog.. see Shake the Heavens

Graph for 9/4/2009, with commentary

Haven't played all that much for the last few days. Been busy with the girl, but I am on $5nl now and have mostly just broken even when I've had time to play.

I don't know what it is with the $5nl games on Full Tilt. They were quite loose when I played before, but now they're just nitty. Well, the games are loose, but no one is putting money in without the nuts or near nuts. Three times today I've been effectively stacked when I was outkicked by one rank (e.g. a 54/27 calls/calls/calls pot sized bet with AQ on Q72r flop when I have KQ.) None of my good hands were getting much action, but I did adjust well by floating and double-barreling and I actually have a better than break even red line, which is quite surprising for the micros.

Graph for 9/1/2009, evening

Another great session. Had a two buyin pot with a flush over set. Still running > 40bb/100, doubt that's going to last forever though..

Graph for 9/1/2009

Great morning. Had a donator at one of my tables that was shoving almost any two. Snapped two buyins with AKs and TT vs A5o and 55, respectively. Also had some strong semibluff shoves that helped my red line a bit. Already two-fifths of the way through $2nl already, running at a ridiculous 37bb/100 over 2.5k hands, and I've gained about $4 in rakeback so far. I have about $70 in rakeback accumulated in this week from playing $25nl before I started the challenge, thinking I'll take that with my $50 Best Buy card I got as a bonus at work and buy something nice. :)

graph for 08/31/2009

Had a slightly better than break even day today. I ran pretty bad (had a KK < AA and my AKs got owned by AQo, both for full stacks each) and had a bluff where I was representing a huge range (turned flush AND straight on board and an A on river) and I still get called by an underpair to the board. Le sigh. I'm still finding good opportunities of bluff, and there's little spikes in my red line showing that but I'm still getting called a lot by terrible hands - totally expected at this level, though. I'm hoping to still find more opportunities to bluff but for now I'm going to try to bolster my red line by targeting limp/folders and stealing blinds.

sweet

I got called a 'fucker' in polish for this hand.

Full Tilt Poker Game #14391410976: Table Sudan (6 max) - $0.01/$0.02 - No Limit Hold'em - 16:29:56 ET - 2009/08/31
Seat 1: Scott D Rookie ($3.72)
Seat 2: Lagavulin2013 ($0.53)
Seat 3: zilarik ($3.13)
Seat 4: der wolsen ($1.83)
Seat 5: PethyOczvirk ($1.82)
PethyOczvirk posts the small blind of $0.01
Scott D Rookie posts the big blind of $0.02
The button is in seat #4
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to zilarik [Ts Qd]
Lagavulin2013 calls $0.02
zilarik has 15 seconds left to act
zilarik raises to $0.09
HeatherBrianne1 sits down
HeatherBrianne1 adds $0.80
der wolsen folds
PethyOczvirk calls $0.08
Scott D Rookie folds
Lagavulin2013 folds
*** FLOP *** [Kd 8d 4c]
PethyOczvirk checks
zilarik bets $0.18
PethyOczvirk raises to $0.36
zilarik calls $0.18
*** TURN *** [Kd 8d 4c] [7s]
PethyOczvirk checks
zilarik checks
*** RIVER *** [Kd 8d 4c 7s] [Qh]
PethyOczvirk bets $0.72
zilarik calls $0.72
*** SHOW DOWN ***
PethyOczvirk shows [5s As] Ace King high
zilarik shows [Ts Qd] a pair of Queens
zilarik wins the pot ($2.23) with a pair of Queens
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot $2.38 | Rake $0.15
Board: [Kd 8d 4c 7s Qh]
Seat 1: Scott D Rookie (big blind) folded before the Flop
Seat 2: Lagavulin2013 folded before the Flop
Seat 3: zilarik showed [Ts Qd] and won ($2.23) with a pair of Queens
Seat 4: der wolsen (button) didn't bet (folded)
Seat 5: PethyOczvirk (small blind) showed [5s As] and lost with Ace King high

graph for 08/30/2009

Graph for 08/30.

the raccoon challenge

Here's something I've been kicking around for some time - it is loosely based on the Chris Ferguson challenge , but geared specifically towards microstakes NL players. My theory is based among these tenets:

• For a winning player at even the higher microstake levels, the chance of going busto at $2nl with $50 is infinitesimally small as the level of play there is so bad, and in the incredibly unlikely event that you DO bust, hell, it's $50. Most likely you will have made $50 in rakeback somewhere along the lines of the challenge anyhow.
  
• The ability to disassociate the money you play with with its actual value is a key component of winning poker, and having built up a roll from $50 will do that - if you do happen to go bust at a higher stake, you will have lost nothing but time.
• With the ability to ignore the money's value (o noes, my aces got cracked, that's 25 cheeseburgers down the drain!), you'll be able to play more aggressively, and thus, less weak tight.

So, I've withdrawn all but $50 from my FT account (with rakeback) and will be following these rules for the challenge here on out -

• No more than four tables at a time (six max) and preferably less. The focus is on improving my game and my bb/100 and picking up skills for higher stakes, not grinding.
• I will attempt to maintain at least a breakeven, or slightly less than breakeven red line through picking my spots to double barrel, bluff, blind steal, 3bet light, etc.
  
• When I have 20 buyins for the next level up, I MUST move up. When I drop to 10 buyins for that level, I MUST move down. Moves between levels are permanent - no 'taking shots.
• Rakeback will not count towards moving up/down - my winnings in PT will be the determining factor. RB will be withdrawn at the first opportunity.

Last night, I played 902 hands, running at a handsome 47bb/100 playing a very LAGgy game (38/27). Most likely variance, but hey. Redline currently breakeven. Stay tuned!