Bigsoxfan05

2011-08-31T10:46:00.001-04:00

Missing Sundays

2011-08-28T20:52:00.006-04:00

Been a really long time. Tough to get motivated to blog when the US Gov takes away the biggest reason that I make blog entries. It's been 4.5 months since "Black Friday" and really no positive movement in this country towards the return of online poker............Sigh.........All the monies they could have been making off of rake during this time is just a massive missed opportunity.

I have played live a few times. For a few weeks I was playing a very lag game and and exiting early. I play with the same guys every week when I make the trek to the seacoast of NH. I want them to all think I am a careless, gambling degenerate. The meta game value I get from these performances is well worth it. I have such a loose image that these guys pay me off so light in future games. It happened last week when I shipped the Sunday $75 1 add on for $1500. I was super active and went on a nice enough heater that I was left with all the chips 8 hours later. I promise you these guys can't range me. I balances my ranges way to often. I play hands in ways that most live players don't. It's really funny actually, they are all sitting there looking at each other like I am the sucker and they are chomping at the bit to get into pots with me, when that is actually what I want them to do. Now that I have them all believing that I am a loose cannon I will continue to make the proper adjustments against them.

There is one guy I have had my hands full with. He is a blind protector and loves to flat me light out of position. He will normally flat me pre flop and float my c-bet on the flop and the times that I check behind on the turn he fires the river 100% of the time. He is very quiet and doesnt give away much information. He has actually gotten the best of me for most part. So I am just going to stop c-betting flops that I miss, and continue as normal for the trap when I smash. Outside of him and 1 or 2 other guys I just feel like I am the best player at each table. Many of these players make so many crucial mistakes that they think are correct plays. Most times the only one who is going to outplay me is myself.

Even though it's a been a fun and profitable summer at the live tables, I am missing playing online so bad. Getting up on a Sunday in time to get all my errands done and loading up 20-30 tournaments with baseball and or football on the 52 inch in the background. Getting deep in a few and trying to close out a 4 figure score and dreaming of the 6 figure Binkage. With football just around the corner I am still so bitter at the USDOJ!

**********************************************************************
Wrapping up what has been one of the busiest and strangest summers I have ever spent in Wolfeboro. It's been a great summer profit wise but I am so ready to put this summer behind me. Not sure what 2012 is going to bring for me in my professional career???? I do know that I want to spend all of January in Chile and try to figure out a way to get a work contract down there. At this point it is a bit of a pipe dream. I feel like changes need to be made for me. I love most of the things in my life and I am very grateful for what I have but I really hate the direction this country is heading. Not sure what I am going to do?

One thing I am forcing myself to realize is that sometimes happiness is a manifestation. If you continue to feel miserable and think everything sucks, it will. All though I was truly unhappy this spring and summer I am trying to make an attempt to enjoy the good things in my life.

Fall is among us and I love the fall in New England. Happy days ahead :)

So Much Trouble In The World

2011-08-11T23:52:00.001-04:00

The DOJ Took A Piece of Me Away

2011-05-02T10:31:00.004-04:00

I have not updated this blog since I left Chile. I have been super busy with the re-opening of Garwoods after it's month long renovation. Between a couple of great trips to Fenway Park and Garwoods being so busy I just haven't had that much time.

I also haven't been very motivated to post a blog due to Black Friday. I guess I knew it was coming eventually but I didn't think it would be so abruptly.

Even though I understand it has very little to do with the players and everything to do with money between the off-shore poker sites and the greedy US Government, I still can't help but feeling like I am being robbed of my rights. A piece of me died on (oh, how ironic) Tax Day, April 15th, 2011.

I really am so sick of living in a country where the government is constantly finding new ways to squeeze our rights and continually makes poor decisions. If I could move to a place like Chile I would do it tomorrow but it is not that easy. There are many factors stopping me from doing this.

These feelings are not just motivated by the recent hindrance of online poker in this country, I have harbored these feelings about this country since my first trip to Chile seven years ago. Seeing another culture mixed with observing how mine is run is just a huge eye opener. I understand that I am in a much better situation than most of the people in this crazy world that we live in and I do truly appreciate that but I really despise the people who run this country and the decisions that they make.

Where does this leave recreational players like myself???

I am certain that the powers that be have a master plan to make online poker available to players in the United States. My true feelings are that the US already has software ready to go and when they are done bluffing the off-shore sites and realize that PokerStars, Full Tilt and UB are not going to fold to their bluff of the billions of dollars they want in "back pay" and tell the US Gov to "Go FUCK themselves, we don't need your business any longer" that is when they will roll it out immediately with a good size rake and tax system that will benefit the US Gov greatly.

In the meantime, I guess I go back to where it all started 7-ish years ago.....playing live poker. I have played 4 live tourneys over the past 2 weeks. I cashed in 2/4 and won the biggest one I played (154 players).

What have I learned about going back to the live poker?

I have a lot more edges live than I do online. My aggression is a lot more effective live. Live players make so many crucial stack size mistakes it's laughable. Once and a great while there is a decent looking female dealer. Those were the positives.

Onto the Negatives....

Money spent on gas/food/tipping/time spent traveling/lodging (gets very expensive if I do make the trek to the big houses in CT)...... LIVE PLAY IS SOOOOO FUCKING SLOW!!!!! I mean really, pay attention! Not only the players, half the dealers are super slow/make so many mistakes. I can't stand listening to live players try to talk about poker and sports, it really is tilting for me. I find myself turning my ipod up louder and louder as the session goes on. I wouldn't hang out with 85% of the scumbags that go into these cards rooms in a normal setting. Don't get me wrong here, I have met some really nice/interesting people in live card rooms, but most of them are testosterone spewing monkeys that are either borderline criminals or hate their lives and want to try to berate people while blowing money they are not suppose to be spending. The biggest negative of all; I get to put up $50-$250 for a buying in NH (bigger buying in CT) and play in ONE tournament with less than 200 runners for a small 4 figure score. At home I can put up the same amount of dough and play 15-20 tournaments while playing for 5 figure scores, without spending a dime on gas and whatever little I spend on food in my house.

hmmmmmmmm. What would you rather do?

I really feel bad for the people who made a living out of this game. I can only imagine what they are going through based on what my feelings are in regard's to this game just being a hobby for me.

So a big thank you to the US DOJ for taking my biggest hobby out of my home. Please RAIPI&DIAGF....

Only 4 days left in Chile =(

2011-03-30T18:21:00.004-04:00

It has been an amazing 2 1/2 weeks here in Chile. I really have achieved my goal of doing a lot of nothing. Most days have been spent at the pool with most nights drinking Cristal and Pisco. I have ate way to much bread here, they have bread with almost every meal. I am certain I have gained 5 lbs to my already over weight body. Almost all of my meals have been authentic Chilean dishes and have been amazing. Ovidia's cooking is second to none. The fruit and vegetables are unlike anything you can get back in the States.

Unlike my last trip we have done very little traveling. Spent a couple of days/night in Maipu and Santiago. Saw Morcheeba live in Santiago. 2 of my last 4 days here will be spent on the road though.

I am not looking forward to that long travel home and I am certainly not ready to leave Chile.

There are many exciting things for me to come home too. A revamped restaurant and by revamped I mean everything is new, this I can hardly wait for. My owners have spent a shit ton of money on an already busy restaurant. I just cant wait for our season to come. We are going to smoke the competition this summer!

Baseball! WOW! I am so giddy for this season. I feel like a kid staring at a melting ice cream Sunday on a super hot mid-July day. I mean, Boston has put together one of the most incredible Red Sox teams I have ever seen. Obviously they have to stay healthy. I am so excited that today I spent way to much money on an opening day ticket but it is vs the Yankees and with Garwoods being closed it is an opportunity that doesn't present itself that often for me.

Well, time for some more pisco. Salud!

R.I.P. Nate Dogg

2011-03-16T10:37:00.001-04:00

Talagante, Chile

2011-03-16T08:37:00.004-04:00

I almost missed my connecting flight to Chile in Peru. For some odd reason they made us go through screening with our carry on luggage, I didn't understand this? Everyone on the flight obviously had been through the previous airports screening. It almost made me late and defiantly made some other people late for their connecting flights. What a long travel here. I am glad I am staying for three weeks. It feels like a lifetime to get here.

My friends family have an amazing home. They live in a gated community. They have roughly 2 acres of property with a swimming pool which is were I will be spending a good amount of time. It was cloudy and a little cold yesterday (58 degrees). The locals were all dressed for a winter day. If it was currently 58 back home in NH we would be in shorts and t-shirts. The forecast for the next 10 days is 85 and sunny =)

It is really nice to see the family I stayed with last time I was here. They are so kind and giving. As soon as I walked in the house I was told this is my house and I am welcome to everything. Even when I go to the store they wont let me buy anything. This is what I remember the most about the Chilean's from my first visit here. So very accommodating and want you to have everything you need. Also, they are so casual here and no one is on a schedule. Things get done when they get done, no big deal.

Driving here is at your own risk. Buses will pass you on back roads when you are doing the speed limit. There seems to be very few road rules here, if there are any most people don't pay any attention to them.

I have my own room. Internet is going to be a problem as it is a concrete house and the wireless router does not extend very far throughout the house, and it is a very big house. This is ok though, I didn't come all this way to sit on the computer all day. I will play poker today and on Sunday but that will be most of my time spent on the computer.

I am not sure what they have in store for traveling. I am actually content with staying right here and doing a lot of nothing. The last time I was here I got to see a lot of the country in a very short time. I would love to visit Vallerica again but it is so far away in the South. After taking almost 16 hours to get here I am in no hurry to travel a long distance again.

San Salvador, El Salvador

2011-03-14T15:53:00.005-04:00

The flight here wasn't so bad. There were many crying young children. I was near the back of the plane and there was this one kid that was like screaming his cry, he was pretty loud. That stuff doesn't bother me much as I have a pretty high tolerance for kids. I mean they don't really know any better. There was a lady behind me who was freaking out about the screaming child. She spoke English and ask the stewardess if they had any earplugs? I then heard her say "I have no patience for loud kids!" I wanted to turn and say, "Come on lady, you have no tolerance then you should have brought earplugs with you," but instead I was nice and gave her an extra pair of earplugs that I had in my bag. She put them in and still ask to move up front and did. hahahahaha.

I almost forgot how amazingly gorgeous Latin American women are. They have this certain strut to them that is so confident making them even hotter. I am a sucker for brunettes to begin with so I mean, WOW!

There was an applause when we landed the plane. I almost forgot about this as well. People from Central/South America always applaud a successful landing. Are they applauding the pilots???

JFK-New York

2011-03-14T09:39:00.003-04:00

Sitting at JFK getting ready to board my flight to San Salvador. This flight is five hours with a two hour layover then onto my second flight to Peru. I am not overly excited about having two layovers on my way to Chile but I am glad I am not in the air for more than five hours at any point of this trip.

I am very excited to spend three weeks in Chile with some great people and looking forward to doing a lot of nothing, sipping Pisco. I have not been on a vacation in seven years.

It looks like I am not going to play the LAPT. My friend that I am staying with lost his dad this past week and I just want to hang out with him and his family. It's all good, it will give me a reason to go back next year. Speaking of poker, I took second in the $77 6 max for a little under 4K. It is nice to put an end to a very long downswing.

Time to board. I hate flying =(

2011-02-21T00:36:00.001-05:00

I'm going going back back to Chile Chile

2011-02-19T13:25:00.007-05:00

Just booked my flight for my vacation to Chile. The last time I vacationed was seven years ago and it was an amazing journey through the beautiful country of Chile. I can't wait to go back. After only spending 8 days there last time, I have booked this trip for three weeks. It's a very long trip traveling to and from taking almost 24 hours with 2 layovers, so I am very glad that I am going to be there for more than a week.

Ironically, the LAPT has a stop in Chile while I am on vacation. I am in Chile for 3 of the 52 weeks of the year, and the LAPT happens to be there. This is obviously destiny. The only thing left to do is satellite in and win the damn thing.

Speaking of poker. The limit cash game idea I had, come to find out it was the worst/dumbest idea I have ever had in poker. BORING! The bigsoxfan05 has decided to move on from that goofball idea.

I have been putting in some MTT sessions. Been mostly happy with my play. A few deep runs but really nothing to report. The game is super frustrating when you run bad and is just not very fun to play. I am pretty much on 7K downswing over the past year and it's discouraging. Really isn't helping to motivate me to play often. I have been putting some serious thought into walking away from this game if it doesn't start to become fun again.

My only focus over the next couple of weeks poker wise, is getting myself into the LAPT Vina Del Mar main event.

3 more weeks and I will be hanging out with the Chileans sipping on Pisco and making poor attempts to speak Spanish.

Back At It

2011-01-26T21:41:00.002-05:00

I took a month off from playing poker online. I played one live tournament at the Rock and failed. I used that time wisely and watched some of the best players that play online. I chatted and discussed hands and strategy's with some fellow poker players on my Skype channels. I reviewed a few of my own hand history's, a few deep runs and a few crash and burns. I was forcing plays. I was trying to win to many pots, lacking patience and I was not paying close enough attention to my opponents.

There are many leeks in my game that I need to work on. I need to make quicker adjustments throughout my tournament grinds.

I am refreshed and excited to be back on the virtual felt but I am just not sure how much volume I am going to put in this year. After March of 2010 I was very flat and just didn't have the drive to play. I would play on my days off because that is "What I do". I really need to be focused and 100% ready to crush if I am going to put in a session.

When I started playing poker, seven years ago, I jumped right into NLHE tournaments. Some of the best all around players that are out there today cut their teeth in limit hold em cash games. Most of them started at the very bottom in the micro limits and worked their way up.

I am going to start at .02/.04 limit cash games. After 50K hands I will evaluate and go from there. I feel that I could learn a few things about the game from a prospective that I haven't seen before. If for nothing else, It's a new challenge and something fresh for me.

Today I 8-10 tabled .02/.04 6 max limit. I played 2494 for a profit of $3.14. In that time I learned that most of these players can't find the fold button, ever! They don't even need a draw. Even though I suspected this I found myself making adjustments right away. This is the bottom of the barrel of limit poker, so if I cant profit here, I should probably find a new hobby.

I will be playing some tournaments this weekend. Cheers to running good in the 2K11..

Ain't I

2010-12-29T19:35:00.002-05:00

Peace out 2010

2010-12-29T18:16:00.006-05:00

2010 started off so well for the bigsoxfan05. Winning the 10R, bubbling the Sunday Million FT, making the $20 cubed FT twice in the same week in back to back sessions. By the end of February I thought it was going to be my biggest year in poker. Then came March, my biggest downswing month ever. March turned into April and May and here we are in December with the longest downswing of the 7 years that I have played this game. Take away a second place finish in the $11 20K in October and I didn't have any FT's (of good field size or decent prize pools) in 10 months.

Even though I am finishing 2010 with a decent profit, I can't remember being this frustrated with poker. More importantly, the game was just not that fun for me over the past 10 months. I have no motivation to play online poker right now.

In the meantime, I have a lot of work to do. No question I ran pretty bad over those 10 months, but I also played some bad poker during that time. There were many days when I should have never even opened up the poker clients. Poker has become such a big part of my life that on my days off (Sunday's and Wednesday's) I just go into autopilot mode and feel like I just have to play. When in reality I should only be playing when I am completely focused and have nothing else on my mind. Obv lack of life balance is obv.

All I can do for now is: Become aware of leaks in my game and learn the proper adjustments. Watch better players. Review. Discuss HH's. Balance life ranges better. Work, work, work and then maybe, play.

2010-12-11T14:54:00.001-05:00

If you had told me in November

2010-12-11T12:42:00.006-05:00

That the Boston Red Sox would sign Carl Crawford and trade for Adrian Gonzalez for the 2011 season I would have laughed very hard. I am almost at a loss of words that we signed the best free agent OF and traded for one of the best all around 1B in baseball. It is super unreal to me.

Crawford, who has been a thorn in the Red Sox side for years, should have been a Yankee. I've been saying for years that he will wear pinstripes when he is done in Tampa. Top that with the fact that the NYY have the need for an OF like Crawford, it just amazes me that Sox quietly scooped him up and signed him to 7 year monster deal. Theo and company have just stayed away from contracts like this one. I thought in the few days after they traded for Adrian the Sox were completely out of the Crawford sweepstakes. Wow! Just WOW!

I cant remember being as excited for a baseball season since we signed Curt Schilling.

I would really hate to be an opposing pitcher that had to face;

Ellsbury- L
Pedrioa- R
Crawford- L
Youkilis- R
Gonzalez- L
Ortiz- L

Not necessarily in that order. Can't forget about that bum JD Drew as much as I don't like him he is still not an easy out.

The defense that these two new editions bring is equally exciting. Adrian has won two gold gloves and Crawford (1) is super fast and not afraid to lay out to glove a ball.

I am just giddy right now, like a little kid.

I can't wait for April to get here!!! I love this game =)

I Can't Wait For....

2010-11-28T11:42:00.004-05:00

The 2010 poker year to be over. I am so fucking frustrated with this year.

If I was constantly getting outplayed that would be one thing and I could be really critical of my own play, but for the most part I am just in one of those ruts where I put it in good vs bad players and they get there.

I don't really give 2 shits if people don't want to hear me whine about it, its my fucking blog and you don't have to read it. It makes me feel better sometimes.

Even though this year is still a 5 figure profit (barely) it has been the most frustrating year in the 7 years I have played this game.

There are certainly holes in my game, everyone has them. I am not claiming that I play great all the time, but I play way better than these fucktards that are beating me right now.

asdgfasrghqerhnsadhbwrehwerfbvaeryhgawrg gfyPS&FTPanddiagf

Little Lion Man

2010-11-27T13:59:00.001-05:00

Online Concentration

2010-11-11T21:10:00.005-05:00

With the exception of a second place finish in the 12K last month, I really don't have any positive results to speak of.

Last night I played the 25K and the $3 re-buy on Pokerstars. I ran super bad, deep in the 25K for an earlier exit than I was expecting. I ran pretty good in the 3R and found myself down to the final 2 tables. I guess I wasn't cognizant enough to realize that it was on a night that there were 15 minute levels. I certainly didn't think I would find myself at the two final tables at 4:30am. I had been awake for 23 hours straight at that point and I work doubles on Thursday's and Friday's.

Long story short, I was falling asleep in between hands and just didn't have the focus to make sound decisions to play the most optimal poker. I was 2nd in chips with 11 to go and I busted 11th after playing a hand about as bad as you can play a hand vs the chip leader.

I am so fucking pissed about this. I run so bad in the 3r on the regular and I know how hard it is to get by that massive donkfield to the FT. When I FT bubbled the Sunday Million I was depressed for like a week but at least I played my best in that tournament. I should have ran outside in my parking lot to get amped up for this 3R, I mean, I should have done something!?!?!?!?!?! Instead I couldn't wait for it to get over with so I could go to bed.

I played live twice in the past 2 weeks at Seabrook. On the drive there I got very excited to play. Its that excitement I am missing when I play online recently.

Not exactly sure where I am going with all this..........

Cliff Notes:
* Don't start a tournament that you can't finish.
* When finally running good in a tournament that has haunted you, capitalize on it!
* Falling asleep while playing for 7K is -EV
* This may have been my most epic blowup ever.
* blah................ blah.................blah

Crying Like A Bitch

2010-10-08T23:29:00.001-04:00

Grab Your Bag and Grab Your Coat

2010-10-04T01:13:00.000-04:00

Two Final Tables and New a Plan

2010-10-04T00:43:00.008-04:00

Soooooooooooooo. Back to making final tables. My longest/biggest downswing came to an end this week. Finally! I FT'ed the hyper turbo $23.45. Gamble, gamble in that one. Busted 8th for like $400, meh. I came home after work on Saturday night and put in a smallish session, and ended finishing 2nd in the 12K on Stars for 2K. I was not terribly excited that I didn't finish and ship first place, but a four figure score is nice after not even sniffing one for 6 months.

Dicktrout decided to holla at me about being more patient, and stop given stacks away late in tourneys. Even though I didn't want to hear it he was absolutely correct. I have really scaled the aggression back this past weekend in tournaments and been a little more patient. I have a great way of accumulating chips and putting together monster stacks, but sometimes I am just as good at spreading them back out across the felt. Most people can't find the fold button in the micros I am playing, so I need to make the proper adjustments. There are some minor holes I am trying to plug in my game right now.

Things I learned about myself during this downswing:

* I am a whiny little bitch when I constantly lose.
* I am waiting for the bad beats to come, like I can see them coming.
* I get very chip envious.
* I press and force my play.
* I don't spend enough time critiquing my own play.
* I blame poor play on "running bad" way to often.
* I expect to lose.

I know how to fix these things. I just want to post them here, so that I can look back and remember those feelings and do my best to avoid them the next time that inevitable downswing comes through the bigsoxfan05.

Now that the season is over here in Wolfeboro I will be ramping up the volume. I would like to attend the PCA this year, so I will be trying to win my way there. Speaking of the season being over, I have been doing a ton of thinking about playing poker when things are a little more stressful for me at work. Our season is very short here, but it packs a good punch. My work days are longer and dealing with the public everyday can be taxing an leave me in less desirable moods at times.

After evaluating my play this summer which really wasn't a ton of volume, I feel that I may be bringing some of my work stresses and frustrations to the tables. If you look at my monthly numbers I really don't win in the summer months. The last 3 years, only July has been a winning month and if you take out the Sunday Special FT from July of 09, that is not a winning month either.

So I am thinking that I wont play tournaments in the summers any longer. Maybe I can just have a few weekly SNG sessions, or something along those lines, and mix in like 1 Sunday a month that I grind MTTs.

Only time will tell I guess. For now I am glad to be playing winning poker and gaining that ever important confidence in my game. It is these times when I feel that I can beat anyone. I am certainly starting to feel like that at the moment. More important than all of that though, the game is fun again.

Sickos

2010-08-21T15:24:00.001-04:00

End of the Season

2010-08-21T13:56:00.003-04:00

Summer is coming to an end which means that my real job will be slowing down, my work days will be shorter. Its been a very busy and successful summer at Garwoods.

With the season coming to an end I should be able to find some more time to play poker. I pretty much took the past month off and really needed it to be honest. I was getting fed up with the way I was running/playing. I played a couple of sessions this past week, and I was very pleased with the way that I played. I made a run at the daily 90K on Wednesday only to get 2 outed for a 450K chip leading pot with 50 players to go.

I did a lot of talking with l3irdman during my time off from the felt. We talked a lot about the variance of MTT poker, and how I let it bother me to often when really I should be just focusing on playing solid everyday. I just haven't put in enough volume since March to get that frustrated.

We also discussed playing on other smaller sites like UB to help get past that downswing I am on. I have been playing on UB and I have had some small success. The play is defiantly softer and the tournament structure is better than PS and FTP, well at least in the beginning stages of the tournament.

With the summer coming to an end, I will be looking to put in some volume. Maybe I can even go on one of those heaters that I go on once a year (hint, hint, nudge, nudge poker gods).

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86 the 2010 Boston Red Sox. This team is done. I mean obviously not mathematically done, but yeah they have dealt with one to many blows. Jacoby- done for the year after not having played for almost the entire season. Youk- done for the year. Pedroia- probably done for the year after playing only 2 games coming back from the broken foot, only to return to the DL. Cameron- out for the year etc, etc...

They might have been able to get through this if the starting pitching was performing like they were projected to, but they haven't.

At this point they need to just look to next season and protect the players that matter. This team may have a bit of a new look next year but for the most part the core is going to be the same.

Afrika Bambaataa

2010-07-19T00:41:00.001-04:00

BOOOOOOOOM!

2010-07-13T09:59:00.002-04:00

New Look

2010-07-05T13:14:00.004-04:00

I have not posted in a while. There really hasn't been much to talk about. I played 12 MTTs yesterday, whiffed on all of them but 1, the $27 Knockout on Pokerstars. I did final table it. The picture below is a hand at the FT. I was in the BB with KK and we got it all in preflop. Feels good to finally win a key hand at a crucial point in a tournament. Its very refreshing to bink quads instead of losing AQ to A4. Shortly after that hand I misplayed JJ vs the chip leader when he shoved the river on me and I folded. Pretty sure he had AK, so I am not sure that if I jam preflop after he 3 bet me, that I would have gotten a fold, but I defiantly misplayed the hand. I busted shortly after that in 5th, booking me a win for the day, which have been hard to come by for me of late.

Other than that, I blew a big stack up in the $22 big ante with 99 vs a lag spewtard that was playing 85% of the hands, he obv had KK. I don't like how I played the $20 cubed, could have found some better spots. I ran like shit in the 3 MTTs I played on FTP, and I lost a big pot early on in a UB deep stack with QQ vs A7 on a 7 high flop.

Pretty satisfied with how I have been playing. I am starting to run a little better. I think my game can use some cleaning up. With the game being so aggressive now, I want to reel in my aggression just a little bit more in the mid-stages.

***********************************************************

The Red Sox. Wow, where do I even begin? How are they beating teams right now? Dustin Pedroia- broken foot, out till August.
V-Mart- Broken thumb, possible return after the All Star break.
Jason Varitek- Broken foot, out till August.
Clay Buchholz- Hamstring, after AS break.
Josh Beckett- Lower back spasms, late July.
Manny Delcarmen- Right forearm strain, late July.
Jacoby Ellsbury- Rib fracture, not sure, hes missed most of the year.

I mean, talk about bad beats. But somehow they are getting it done. We are really going to see what this team is made of over the next 6 weeks.

The Red Sox are sending 6 players to the All Star game. Petey, Beltre, Clay, Lester, Papi and V-mart. What about Youuuuuuuuuuuk???? He got coolered by Miguel Cabrera moving over to first base in Detroit. Miggy is just having a monster first half. Maybe, Youk can get in by the way of the fan vote. He defiantly deserves to be there.

*********************************************************

The season is here in Wolfeboro. This is what we wait all year for. There is only 8 weeks of it. It has started off really well, as this weekend at Garwoods was a great weekend. I will be working a lot, my days will be longer, so I am not sure how much poker I will be playing.

I gave the blog a new look, let me know what you think? I kinda like it. I might stay with it.

Quads

2010-07-05T11:39:00.001-04:00

Grand Entrance

2010-06-13T12:03:00.003-04:00

Back on the felt

2010-05-31T10:07:00.010-04:00

I finally had the motivation to play again. I played 2 tournaments on Saturday night after work, and cashed in both of them. I actually had a top 5 stack in the 10R on stars, with roughly 160 players to go, and got tangled up with a very active player. He chased down a flush draw and got there. I defiantly didn't have to play that pot with him at the time. I was pretty happy with the way I played though.

Yesterday I played 5 tournaments, and it was back to running bad. I lost AA twice, and KK twice, and lost a massive pot AK vs KJ in the 20 cubed.

Not going to play a ton of volume, but I will be playing on a regular basis again. I may explore some play on other sites like cake and UB.

*****************

I have been sleeping much better since I quit drinking, so I will continue to not drink.

*****************

Just finished Season 2 of Weeds. It is hilarious, loving it so far.

*****************

What a strange season this has been for the Red Sox so far. We go into Tampa, and sweep the best team in baseball, and then drop the first 2 games at home vs Kansas City. Just weird.

The starting pitching is finally coming around. Lester was nearly untouchable for the month of May. Clay has been consistently solid. Dice-K flirted with a no-no, but in typical Dice-K fashion, got lit up the very next game.

After a usual bad start, Big Papi is defiantly back. After hitting under .200/1/a handful of RBIs in April, he is hitting over .300/10/ over 20 RBIs for the month of May. so maybe the Boston media can get off his case now. He may even win player of the month.

Not sure where the Sox are going to be by the end of the year. The AL East is stacked, even Toronto is playing well. This is what makes it fun to watch. I am just glad the Sox are playing above average baseball again. If Beckett can get healthy, and be even 75% of what he usually is, I feel they can beat anyone in a series.

The xx

2010-05-27T00:43:00.001-04:00

no más cerveza

2010-05-27T00:40:00.003-04:00

Due to my sleep apnea, I don't sleep well most nights. When I drink often, my sleeping patterns are even worse. I wake up twice as much.

When I quit drinking this winter for 2 months, I slept pretty well, and felt good during the day because of it.

So, for now, no más cerveza.

Priceless

2010-05-24T00:51:00.001-04:00

Ask me anything!

2010-05-19T12:05:00.002-04:00

So, being that I am bored out of my mind, I saw a friend/co-worker on facebook with this link, and I thought it might be fun to see some of the questions asked. http://www.formspring.me/bigsoxfan05

2010-05-18T00:40:00.003-04:00

I am taking my ball and going home...

2010-05-17T11:53:00.001-04:00

That is how I feel about poker right now. I don't want to ramble on about my misfortunes on the felt, so I wont. Simply put, the game is no fun right now, so I just don't feel like playing it for the time being.

blah

2010-05-03T01:25:00.001-04:00

The run bad continues. One of the biggest months in online poker is here. The SCOOP started today and I played one of the events along with some other tourneys. The shit show continued. But, I am happy about my reads, they were spot on. I just couldn't get my trigger finger to cooperate today. There were 3 spots that I knew exactly what my opponents had, but I made the call anyway. That just has to stop!

This downswing (which is by far my worst and longest ever), has really messed with my head, and my thoughts on poker. So I have been doing a lot of talking with trout and l3irdman. Here is some of my convo (excuse the spelling) with l3irdman tonight:

ALRiDe (12:28:20 AM): howd trout end up in the 2day
BIGSOXFAN05 (12:28:31 AM): i dont think anything went well at all for him 2day
ALRiDe (12:28:33 AM): he told me about the bs in the 6-max
BIGSOXFAN05 (12:28:45 AM): AA<66
ALRiDe (12:28:52 AM): yep
BIGSOXFAN05 (12:28:59 AM): i got gheyed in everything also
BIGSOXFAN05 (12:29:07 AM): i cant fucking win with AK

BIGSOXFAN05 (12:29:21 AM): u saw that sick cooler in the 40K right

BIGSOXFAN05 (12:29:26 AM): AJ

BIGSOXFAN05 (12:29:32 AM): JJ6 flop
ALRiDe (12:29:32 AM): i mightve, cant remember

ALRiDe (12:29:34 AM): ohhh yeah

ALRiDe (12:29:37 AM): that was so stupid

ALRiDe (12:30:06 AM): u both flopped trips and he flopped 66 full
BIGSOXFAN05 (12:30:14 AM): yeah

BIGSOXFAN05 (12:30:25 AM): silly thing about today

BIGSOXFAN05 (12:31:05 AM): i knew 3 times, what my opponent was holding (I mean EXACTLY what they were holding) and i still made the call
ALRiDe (12:31:39 AM): that goes back to what we were talking about earlier about controlling yourself
BIGSOXFAN05 (12:31:43 AM): i knew my AT hand was beat by a set.....I knew that AJ was behind, and I knew my AK was running into AA
ALRiDe (12:31:47 AM): perfect examples
BIGSOXFAN05 (12:32:13 AM): i just gotta start listening to my gut and my instincts
ALRiDe (12:32:18 AM): how deep was the ak v aa?
BIGSOXFAN05 (12:32:22 AM): my reads are coming back for sure

BIGSOXFAN05 (12:32:32 AM): 28BBs

BIGSOXFAN05 (12:32:39 AM): he had been active

BIGSOXFAN05 (12:32:45 AM): but it was the obv min 3bet, it screamed AA
ALRiDe (12:32:47 AM): not a chance you can ever fold

ALRiDe (12:33:00 AM): still

ALRiDe (12:33:01 AM): gotta get it in
BIGSOXFAN05 (12:33:08 AM): 6 max
ALRiDe (12:33:11 AM): listen to these shannanigans that happened in the $55 100k

ALRiDe (12:33:33 AM): CO minraises, button 3b 1/3 of his stack, SB jams for like 30bb we're about even in chips
ALRiDe (12:33:43 AM): i have aks in the bb and tank but end up calling

ALRiDe (12:34:05 AM): co folds says he had 1010 and the button folded and said he had JJ after 3betting 1/3 his stack

ALRiDe (12:34:07 AM): SB has AQ

ALRiDe (12:34:15 AM): NEVER FOLD AK lol

ALRiDe (12:34:24 AM): <30bb>
BIGSOXFAN05 (12:34:57 AM): i understand what u are saying, but fuck man, i am sick of going bust with that hand
ALRiDe (12:35:32 AM): but you gotta figure it evens out..... maybe you're running way below EV with that hand but you're prob running above EV with another
BIGSOXFAN05 (12:35:52 AM): tonight i played the $4 2+1.....

BIGSOXFAN05 (12:36:36 AM): we are like 70 players left, this guys is playing like an assshole, I open AKs UTG, he 3 bets large from MP, I jam with plenty of FE, and he snaps me with 44

BIGSOXFAN05 (12:36:45 AM): i obv didn't even come close to getting there

BIGSOXFAN05 (12:36:51 AM): i cant even beat 44

BIGSOXFAN05 (12:36:52 AM): 22

BIGSOXFAN05 (12:36:59 AM): just frustrating

BIGSOXFAN05 (12:37:18 AM): like, AK is only a drawing hand

BIGSOXFAN05 (12:37:28 AM): i am really having a hard time with that hand

BIGSOXFAN05 (12:37:37 AM): i mean, you cant fold it
ALRiDe (12:37:48 AM): yeah but think of how much equity it has
ALRiDe (12:38:00 AM): if hes bad enough to do that with 44 he's gonna do it with aq/aj as well
BIGSOXFAN05 (12:38:10 AM): yeah, that's so true
BIGSOXFAN05 (12:40:14 AM): the thing is, 25 BBs, for me its uncomfortable to play that hand in EP

BIGSOXFAN05 (12:40:23 AM): and i am sure its just cause of my bad run
ALRiDe (12:40:59 AM): you need to just switch up that mindset

ALRiDe (12:43:34 AM): if you're really that uncomfortable playing AK from up front just jam it

ALRiDe (12:43:37 AM): that's better than folding

ALRiDe (12:43:47 AM): w/ 25bb
BIGSOXFAN05 (12:43:48 AM): with 25<>
ALRiDe (12:43:58 AM): its better than folding

ALRiDe (12:44:12 AM): i think your focus should be on other aspects of the game right now
ALRiDe (12:44:55 AM): not sure why you're getting so caught up in this situation

ALRiDe (12:45:00 AM): like

ALRiDe (12:45:30 AM): if you aren't playing your best its def not b/c of this AK stuff
BIGSOXFAN05 (12:46:20 AM): heres the thing, after our talk (b4 you left for FL), i did a lot of thinking, and you said a lot of things that made sense and i need to stop being a whiny bitch and just play the game for value and make the best decisions

BIGSOXFAN05 (12:46:29 AM): like my head was really getting out there...

BIGSOXFAN05 (12:46:39 AM): foggy

BIGSOXFAN05 (12:46:50 AM): I am making the game harder than it has to be
BIGSOXFAN05 (12:47:05 AM): i def want to do the HH replayer with you soon
ALRiDe (12:47:25 AM): you working tom?
BIGSOXFAN05 (12:47:31 AM): i felt great about my reads today, they were spot on, my clicker finger just wasnt listening

BIGSOXFAN05 (12:48:05 AM): yeah, this is kinda a rough week for me work wise, not much pokerz, but the week after i will have nothign to do on wed
ALRiDe (12:48:07 AM): in that case you should just really focus on slowing down
BIGSOXFAN05 (12:48:28 AM): or like Sat day i can do somethign
ALRiDe (12:48:34 AM): that works
BIGSOXFAN05 (12:49:24 AM): k, they are having a HH session on Vent this thursday night, between that and the HH with you, I should get things going in the right direction again
ALRiDe (12:50:21 AM): sounds good, it should be interesting at the least
BIGSOXFAN05 (12:50:47 AM): yeah, i mean, im sure you are going to rip it apart, but that is what i need right now
ALRiDe (12:50:58 AM): i think i already have an idea of what we need to fix
ALRiDe (12:51:28 AM): just by talking to you i think i understand what you're going throuugh

ALRiDe (12:51:53 AM): it would happen to me every so often once i started getting backed and playing a lot

ALRiDe (12:52:17 AM): i think more than anything it's your confidence that's suffering

ALRiDe (12:52:40 AM): im willing to bet there aren't going to be too many glaring mistakes when we go over HH's
BIGSOXFAN05 (12:53:32 AM): theres no doubt about the confidece thing, i mean i really got beat up in March, and then I jsut felt like I coulndt do anything right, even though I think I was jsut running really bad,

BIGSOXFAN05 (12:53:44 AM): but for sure, I wasnt playign my bes t at all times either

************

So yeah, I am going to hit the books as they say. Its time to study and get my head right. I am a much better player than the results display recently. This bad run could go on for a long time, I really don't care anymore. What I do care about, is playing my best game every day, every session, every tournament.....

2010-05-01T10:05:00.001-04:00

86 NHPC

2010-04-22T01:37:00.005-04:00

Stupid game. Nothing goes right. blah blah blah.

This must be really boring for people to read over the past 6 weeks. Listen to me complain about poker. Even though I don't give a shit what anyone else thinks, this is my blog, and I started it to get my thoughts out of my head. I find it to be therapeutic.

I play tight and I go card dead for hours on end. I try to make something happen, and I run into monsters. I get it in with total domination, and the ass clowns miraculously get there. I even lost 99 vs 99 and AK vs AK this past 2 weeks. How is that even fun?

I feel like I have no edge anymore. Everyone is just so aggro that nothing works. Playing TAG only works if you are running hot, besides, eventually you have to make moves in MTT's. How can you make any plays when people are just jamming it in with 20+ BB's , reshipping with K high, calling you OOP for stacks with Q7s. Most of them don't even know logically why they are doing it.

Who knows, maybe I never had an edge in this game and I just thought I did. Maybe I just thought I was good at this game when I never really was. Maybe I just get lucky a handful of times a year. I mean, if you take away 5 of my biggest tournament scores (online), I would have a very small profit.

I knew in one way or another that Sunday Million Final Table bubble would haunt me. Ever since my 13th (had to be #13 right?), poker has been complete shit! Now understand, I am not claiming that I have played my absolute best poker since them, but for the most part, its been pretty solid most of the time. It has been fucking ridiculous what has happened since then. Its a big fucking joke. Like, hahahahahaha, you made good profit for January and February, oh, and we even let you sniff life changing money............but now Mr. Bigsoxfan05, you can eat shit and die! And along the way, we will show you every possible way it can happen.

So yeah, I am not finishing the NHPC. I was going to play events 7-9 this Friday, Sat and Sunday. I am all set. Its not fun to get ass raped over and over on a daily basis.

Besides, I really should be doing a lot more productive things with my time physically.

I have a 1/4 million ticket, and a SCOOP ticket that I can only use for those tournaments. I will play those, and who knows about poker in the future for me. When it feels like it might be fun again, maybe I will play. Maybe I wont play for the entire summer.

One thing is for sure. This game is the most humbling game there is. Just when you think you have an edge, or you are better than 90-95% of the field, BOOOOOOOOM! Nope, you suck, nothing you do is good enough. Thanks for donating.

Let the healing begin........ end rant.

NHPC Event # 4

2010-04-21T14:15:00.003-04:00

7K Starting stack, 20 minute levels. This may be the most boring tournament I've ever played. I played 2 hands. No, I am serious, I played 2 hands! In the second level I picked up JJ in the cut off and 3-bet a MP raise, which he flatted. Flop came KQx, he checked and I checked behind. Turn was another Q, he check-raised me, and I folded. The very end of level 6 I had 10ish BB's and moved in from the button with J9s, and the SB reshipped with AQ. After flopping the flush draw, I bricked out.

Pretty uneventful tournament. There were only 41 players, so it would have been nice to get some chips together and get a top 13 spot for extra points towards the NHPC.

This is not going very well with 4 events left (that I am attending). Pretty much sums up how poker has gone for me the past 1 1/2 months. I don't understand how people would want to do this for a living. All though, most of those people are more skillful than I am. Still, it has to be very frustrating, when you are trying to pay bills with winnings.

Just took a 10 mile bike ride, the endorphins are rushing. I am feeling good. Going to run some errands, and head out to Seabrook for Event #5. I need some run good please poker gods.

NHPC Event #2

2010-04-20T13:35:00.004-04:00

20K starting stack. Like I promised myself, I tightened up out of the gate. In the third level I got tangled up with AQ on a AJ77x board when my opponent was holding AK. It was weird how he played the hand, he never raise me, just flatted every street. I really thought my hand was good and he would pay me off with AT, A9, A8 (especially when the board paired the turn) , he had been rather active calling a lot of spots. I value bet every street thinking I was good. My turn bet was a little big however, I may have inflated the pot a little. So yeah, I value-towned myself for about half my stack. I don't hate my play, but if I was to change anything, I may have made my turn bet smaller and checked behind on the river.

I got moved shortly after the 1st break to a very chip heavy table. I said something about the stack sizes when I sat down, and one of the players said he had knock 5 players out already. he must have been sitting on 150K. He was playing a ton of pots. I picked up TT vs one of his cutoff raises, I 3 bet him, he flatted. Flop came KQT, I lead, he mucked. sigh.......The 7th level had just started, I picked up QQ UTG, I made it 3x to go. Folds to the button who smooth called, the big stack 3 bet from the SB, I jammed, he called and tabled A3o......... 9KJ........A.......brick....... sigh

lost with QQ back to back tourneys. Oh well, pretty happy with the way I played. My reads are not perfect right now, that AQ< AK hand is kinda lingering in my mind. Players are getting a little trickier than they were even a year ago. It use to be, a live player would monkey jam the AK on that flop with 40+ BB's (which I certainly would have gotten away from it). I am probably reading a little to much into it. I mean, he was probably playing his hand a little scared, or as a semi-bluff catcher (which worked perfectly, if that is what his intentions were).

Soooooo, 0-2.

Back at it tonight with Event #4

******************************************************

Fenway Park was awesome! Thanks again Greg.

Wow, the Red Sox pathetic right now! Theo and company built this team on defense and pitching. None of that is showing right now. It is early, but this team needs to show some more character, like they did on opening night. All of our starters are getting behind early, and we are just not recovering.

We need Jacoby back, he is our spark plug and a terror on the base paths. Dicktrout made a good point yesterday when we were at Fenway. When Damon was with the Sox. The Sox went as Damon went. Please get back on the field soon Ellsbury!

They don't want to fall to far behind the Yankees and Rays, those teams are just sick good. Crazy deep with talent, both of them. To have the Rays come into town, and sweep us in a 4 game series, just fucking sucks!

Get it together boys! Now!

NHPC Event #1

2010-04-17T16:58:00.003-04:00

15K starting chips. The first 2 levels I was playing a little to loose and found myself down to 7K by the 3rd level. I got moved to a new table and in the 3rd hand at this table I picked up QQ. Blinds were 75/150, I made it 450 from the hijack seat, the button (who was the table chip leader), made it 1200. I flatted his 3 bet. The flop came 9 high with 2 clubs, I led out for a 3/4 pot size bet, he shoved, I called, and he tabled A3cc. He got there on the turn.

I don't really care for how I played. I need to tighten it up a bit in the early levels tomorrow.

Seven in Nine

2010-04-16T20:31:00.007-04:00

I decided to take the next 10 days off from work, as I have not had an extended break (vacation), in some time, and our season is coming upon us. I chose to take this time off during the same time that Seabrook is running the New Hampshire Poker Championships. They are hosting nine tournaments and nine days.

I am going to be playing 7 of those 9 tournaments. I would play all 9, but I promised my boss a long time ago I would work a private party we have booked, and I am going to my 6th straight (thanks again to Greg) Patriots Day Red Sox game at Fenway. This is a great game to go to. It starts at 11:05am, and after the game we walk over to the finish line of the Boston Marathon, and grab a bite to eat. Very fun day to be in Boston.

I am very interested to see how I perform at the NHPC. When things don't go well for me online, I like to play live and get my confidence back. Live players are just so bad. They make so many silly mistakes that you just don't see with online play. For example, I constantly see players open for 3-4x from EP with 15ish BBs and tank fold to a 3 bet.

So yeah, here is the lineup of events that I will be attending:

4/17- Event 1- $150 NLHE
4/18- Event 2- $200 NLHE
4/20- Event 4- $80 NLHE
4/21- Event 5- $120 NLHE
4/23- Event 7- $100 Omaha - Not sure if it H/L or PLO (probably PLO)
4/24- Event 8- $150 NLHE
4/25- Event 9- $250 NLHE Main Event.

With traveling back and forth, and hopefully having some deep runs, I wont be able to blog about every tournament. It may just be a quick post of where I finished, or I may just wait till its over and have a wrap up of the series.

Cheers to running good please...

2010-04-05T15:10:00.001-04:00

Baseball is Back =)

2010-04-05T14:24:00.012-04:00

I am so very happy my first love is back for another 6 months, of what I hope is highs> lows, for my beloved Boston Red Sox. It feels like I wait forever for this day to come, every year.

I have been to Fenway Park some where around 200 times in my life, going all the way back to the age of 7. I have never been to an opening day. When its a Sunday night, first game of the 2010 MLB season, vs the New York Yankees.......I mean....... missing this game is not really an option. Not going to discuss how much I spent to get inside the park (its borderline tilting me, by far the most Ive ever payed for a ticket to enter Fenway park), but it was worth every dime and more.

From Pedro Martinez throwing out the first pitch, to Neil Diamond actually being on the field given us a live version of "Sweet Caroline". From Johnny Pesky walking on the field, yet another year, to Steven Tyler messing up "The Star-Spangled Banner" ............... Lets not forget about the game itself. WOW! It ranks up there in the top 10 for me (and Ive seen some really impressive games at Fenway). I will carry the memories of last night with me for the rest of my life.

Last night is a perfect reason why I love this game. If anyone left early, SHAME ON YOU!!! The 2004 Red S0x taught me to never give up on any game. Last night showed me that the 2010 Boston Red Sox have heart, and no quit in them. This is a newly put together team, with new faces at SS (Marco Scutaro), CF (Mike Cameron) and 3B (Adrian Beltre). So to see some of the new faces contribute to a really sick, come from behind win, it's really encouraging.

Apparently Cameron was quoted as saying to his teammates, "When C.C. Sabathia gets a comfortable lead, he starts challenging the hitters". Well, that is what he did with a 4 run lead, and the Red Sox were ready.

When Youk hit his base clearing triple, you could feel the energy in the building completely change. Momentum finally shifted towards the Sox side, and they never looked back. What a game!

I am very excited about the 2010 Boston Red Sox. Theo and company did a pretty impressive job in the off season. I am not overly excited about the Mike Cameron and Marco Scutaro deals, but I understand what management is doing. Its similar to what they did at the trade deadline in 2004. They are building a strong defense for what is one of the best pitching staffs (front to back, imo) in MLB .

I still feel that we lack some offensive power, and wont always out-hit a team like the Yankees. As long as we stay healthy, play the defense that is expected, recieve the pitching we are suppose to, I really like the Red Sox to win the AL East.

As I write this blog, I am still shaking my head with a giant smile on my face, thinking of last night.

I love this game!

Are You Naughty By Nature?

2010-03-22T00:30:00.001-04:00

Break Time

2010-03-21T23:35:00.006-04:00

March has been so very kind, once again reminding me of why I have a real job, and why I would never want to make a living off of this silly game, pokerz. Maybe I am just not good enough?

3K downswings are not fun, I don't care how big or small one's roll is. How long or short the downswing is. Just gross! Sigh =(

I feel like I haven't played poorly. It's just one of those times when you get it in good and you lose. Get it in waaaaay ahead, and you lose. Cant win key flips, or any flips.

I will go back and look at the hand history's. Who knows, maybe I am not adjusting to the ever changing game of the online grinders. Maybe I was just running hot and lucky the first 2 months of this year. Maybe I am just not good at this game anymore.

What ever it is, I do know that my attitude towards the game is rapidly declining over the past 5-7 days. Feeling very frustrated and starting to creep up on the side of not caring. So, before I bleed anymore.....,....Break time!!!

I will probably play live a few times the rest of the month. I am not even sure how much time I am going to take from playing online.

I want to be fresh for the few SCOOP events that I can afford the time to play on Stars in May. Whatever it takes for me to get my mind set properly for online play.

As frustrating as it has been, I am sitting in my brand new leather recliner, blogging on my new laptop, watching movies in blue ray on my new 52 inch Samsung LCD HD Flatscreen with surround sound. All , which was paid for by online pokerz. That helps keeps things in prospective, as pissed off as I am about my recent downswing.

*******************************************************

I have been pretty sick the past 3 weeks with a sinus infection, and possibly the flu. It has made work borderline miserable for me when I have my doubles on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday's. I have had an allergic reaction to one of the antibiotics I was put on, making it worse. I cant hear anything out of my right ear. It really has become rather annoying. Life tilting.

So, Its time to get better. I have appointments with the doctor this week, xrays and everything (I never go to the hospital). Which is reminding me that I am still not taking proper care of myself. I feel like I may have falling into the "Poker is good, I need to play as much as possible right now, and eeeffff everything else."

So, when I get the proper meds in me, and I start feeling better, I need to take full advantage of my time off from online pokerz, and get my fat ass moving. I do have a plan, and I am excited about it. I just need to execute.

About to pop in IRONMAN in the PS3 player.

IRONMAN in blueray-bigscreen>>>>>>> downswings

Suck Fundays

2010-03-08T02:05:00.000-05:00

I Can't Control...

2010-03-01T23:19:00.003-05:00

How the cards fall.

I can control my mindset and how I play.

****************************************

I can't control how the cards fall.

I can control my mindset and how I play.

****************************************

I can't control how the cards fall.

I can control my mindset and how I play.

****************************************

I can't control how the cards fall.

I can control my mindset and how I play.

****************************************

I can't control how the cards fall.

I can control my mindset and how I play.

Platinum

2010-02-25T02:33:00.001-05:00

UUUUGHH!

2010-02-24T02:08:00.006-05:00

Tournament poker can be so frustrating. ksdfasdgakjsgGFY/DIAGFasdfiogjafsgvas..........This game continues to prove to me that I would never want to "have" to earn a living from it.

You work so hard, play so patiently, study your opponents, pick up on their tendencies, so you can exploit them when it matters. Then you finally get them in a super sweet spot for a massive pot right around the bubble (any bubble- money, FT), and somehow they get there!?!?!?!?!? They have 5% of the deck, the rest of the fucking deck belongs to you!!!! Yet somehow they peel off that miracle card. So fucking frustrating!

Usually when it happens, it happens in bunches. Like you are FT bubble in one tournament, and money bubble in another, and within seconds of each other, you are reporting to the rail. Or, my favorite, you get to nurse a 10BB stack, while you watch the clownshoes piss your 100 BB stack away to the rest of the table........steam just rolling out of your ears.....

A few minutes go by, and you are not mad anymore, just completely deflated......decimated..........empty.

Its such a humbling experience.

Feelings are so extreme in this game.

The feelings of being at a FT........trying to close out the win.......60-100BBs deep..... 4 bet bluffing light, just because you know its right, your stomach is telling you to do it, and you want to take control of this tournament, this hand, right now!..... friends on the rail, spamming out your cards... Being the last player with all the chips. Knowing you played above the rim, so much better than 99% of your opponents.

Its such a high, winning a tournament. Like when you hit that game winning home run....... nailed that buzzer beater ....... had that first kiss with that hot girl. (OK, so maybe I haven't experienced any of those things in a while, but I do remember what they feel like)

That is what keeps me coming back for more. Not because I enjoy getting ass raped on the felt daily, but because when I do get to that FT, and book the win. That feeling is 10 times greater than the dismal feelings I get after a bad session. The smile on my face is ear to ear. The feeling of walking on clouds, for days....

So, tomorrow is a new day. The game makes me tougher each time I play it. I choose to play on, strap on the donkey helmet, extra tight...grind it out....

Supernova=Ring Games

2010-02-18T01:23:00.004-05:00

I want to become a Supernova on Pokerstars this year. It would be nearly impossible to do it solely playing micro MTT's. Mainly because I only play a full schedule 2-3 days a week because of my full time job. Ring games are a must for a player like me in order to earn enough player points that would get me to supernova by December 31st.

I have had some serious tilt issues in the past with ring games. It use to be a place I would go to when MTTs were not going well, and I would blow off steam, and sadly bankrolls. I would play 6 max or HU, and just spew away hard earned MTT wins. So I decided a long time ago that it would be best if I simply lock myself out of ring games. So I did, I was not able to sit at any ring games, not even .01/.02.

Just 3 days ago, I raise my table limits to .25/.50. I have had 5 sessions in the past 3 days. Only 1 of them I walked away loser. So I am 4-1, and the one loss is because I was experimenting with more than 6 tables. I was up to 10 tables that session, and my decision time was cut down to much. It will take me some more practice with 10-12 tabling until I can get use to how fast it is. Maybe 6 tabling will always be the best session for me to have, I just wont know until I practice and get more of a sample size.

So, over the 5 sessions (full ring only), I played 1814 hands. I won 10 1/2 buy ins. With a $/hr of $70.13. I defiantly was running good, but I did notice a lot of terrible play, and people stacking the nuts quite often.

I will continue to do this as long as I don't feel any episodes of tilting, and can keep a + hourly win rate.

I will always be a tournament player first. I love tournaments, but ring games are a nice change of pace, and very convenient time wise. I can just randomly put in a 1-2 hour session. I can stop at any time and walk away.

If I can mix in 8-12 cash sessions every week to my tournament schedule, I should achieve the Supernova status in time for the year end deadline.

Sunday Million Surfing

2010-02-15T01:56:00.003-05:00

So close........ I played my absolute best, but came up just short of the Sunday Million Final Table.

Okaaaaaaay

2010-02-07T03:32:00.001-05:00

Bink!!!!!

2010-01-25T06:49:00.002-05:00

Finally won a rebuy. Its 7am, and I have been at it since 2pm (yesterday). Feels soooooo good!

No Cigars

2010-01-21T00:03:00.006-05:00

This is the second time in a row that I have played this event and final tabled it. The first one was 3 days ago- Sunday (with a much bigger prize pool) and busted 9th . =(

I didn't get a top 3 finish this time either. meh. I am happy with the day overall though. Especially how things were going out of the gate. I was putting some serious thought into unregistering from the later tournaments. It was a complete shit show. I was getting the chips in the middle in some dream spots, only to have my hands get crushed by the turn and river. But, I waited out the storm, and things turned around nicely.

I am experimenting with some new concepts. Being that they are new, I am rather uncomfortable with them. Like I mentioned a couple of post ago, coming out of my recent break or "time off", I am going to be doing some different things. I am going to look foolish a few times, for sure. I really don't care how foolish it looks though, as long as I feel it is the most optimal play at that time. After I review the hand, then I can think about the adjustments I need to make going forward.

I have added a lot of volume to my play. I use to primarily play 3-4 tables. This past week, I have been playing 7-9 tables for 4-6 hours, and as I get deep in a couple, I stop registering for new ones. Putting more focus into the tournaments I am deep-stacked in.

I am defiantly not fully comfortable 9 tabling, but 6 is getting pretty smooth for me.

I am also finding that towards the end of a 10+ hour session like this, I am losing my focus a bit. I need to strap on the helmet and dig in, no matter what I am left in.

I have run pretty good over the past week, so I will keep this up for a month and evaluate my OPR numbers, and make the proper adjustments.

For the first time ever, I am going to try and use proper bankroll management. No Dicktrout, that previous sentence is not a misclick.

AK

2010-01-18T01:32:00.005-05:00

ALRiDe (1:12:02 AM): lol you mean there are other options than just 5bet getting it in?
ALRiDe (1:12:04 AM): ak
BIGSOXFAN05 (1:12:42 AM): yeah, g2g said no brainer with 30bbs
BIGSOXFAN05 (1:13:00 AM): but one of the others said he likes a flat of the 4 bet with deeper stacks
ALRiDe (1:14:23 AM): id need to be like >60bb before i consider flatting a 4b with ak
BIGSOXFAN05 (1:14:46 AM): so....
ALRiDe (1:14:48 AM): unless he's a nit obv and its obvious
ALRiDe (1:15:13 AM): was responding to when u said he likes a 4b with deeper stacks
ALRiDe (1:15:36 AM): im pretty much jamming unless im 60bb deep or if im in position
ALRiDe (1:15:55 AM): i mean im more inclined to flat if im in position
BIGSOXFAN05 (1:16:12 AM): if u have like 48BBs, and u 3 bet from MP, and LP 4 bets you???
BIGSOXFAN05 (1:16:28 AM): but the EP lead folds?
ALRiDe (1:16:37 AM): oh, u mean a cold 4b
ALRiDe (1:16:44 AM): that's different, but like
ALRiDe (1:17:19 AM): ok so, EP opens to 550, i 3b to 1400 button 4b to 3800, i have 9600 effective
BIGSOXFAN05 (1:17:38 AM): yeah
BIGSOXFAN05 (1:17:51 AM): no reads to speak of
ALRiDe (1:18:00 AM): i mean it really is player dependent because i know some regs/supernovas will do that pretty light
ALRiDe (1:18:16 AM): seen some whacky plays the past few days from some regs
ALRiDe (1:18:27 AM): but if its a rando i might just muck
ALRiDe (1:19:45 AM): we have to know whether the guy 4betting is capable of doing it with something crazy
ALRiDe (1:20:21 AM): but in my experience if we're getting cold 4b 99% of the time it's like JJ+
BIGSOXFAN05 (1:20:30 AM): agreed
BIGSOXFAN05 (1:20:37 AM): especially at micro level
BIGSOXFAN05 (1:20:47 AM): I mean,
ALRiDe (1:20:52 AM): if its a supernova i get that shit in 24/7 lol
BIGSOXFAN05 (1:21:02 AM): and this is why i hate AK, i dont like 3bet/folding
ALRiDe (1:21:12 AM): well actually tbh
ALRiDe (1:21:29 AM): unless it's the late stages of a tournament im flatting an EP raise with AK most of the time
ALRiDe (1:21:38 AM): unless i have a stack to 3b get it in with
ALRiDe (1:21:45 AM): or he's been active, but my standard would be to flat
ALRiDe (1:22:00 AM): because by 3betting you get the AQ/AJ/KQ type hands to fold
ALRiDe (1:22:34 AM): and people love to flat their pairs hoping the flop comes low
ALRiDe (1:22:45 AM): so if ur A or K hits you usually dont get paid
BIGSOXFAN05 (1:23:09 AM): I feel that flating is such a less spewey play with AK, pot control, ezier to get away from when you miss, and it is deceptive if you smash
ALRiDe (1:23:12 AM): which sucks because if u were to just flat u keep in the other broadway hands u have stomped that will pay you
ALRiDe (1:23:50 AM): yeah i like it because AQ/AJ never ever ever fold if the flop comes Axx
ALRiDe (1:24:00 AM): because they assume u would 3b with AK
ALRiDe (1:24:54 AM): lol my b for delaying you didn't mean to get into an in-depth discussion about 3betting AK
BIGSOXFAN05 (1:26:02 AM): ummmmmmm, i think this convo just made the blog
BIGSOXFAN05 (1:26:07 AM): lol
ALRiDe (1:26:31 AM): haha nice
ALRiDe (1:26:37 AM): ship da blogspot

Two Thousand Ten

2010-01-05T21:21:00.006-05:00

I read quite a few poker blogs. There are 4 or 5 that I have been reading for a long time. I love to check blogs out this time of year. It's almost like everyone has a clean slate at the New Year. Most have a great outlook towards the game and are ready for a fresh start.

In the past, I have made a whole list of goals on this blog. Some reachable and pretty easy to achieve, and some that are way out there, making it very difficult to attain. Actually, to my surprise the past 2 years, I achieved most of them.

This year however, I have decided to keep it really simple. No list of six figure scores, and playing in my first WSOP etc... just a few simple guidelines:

Keep a positive mind at all times---I noticed this past year (especially towards the end of the year), when I run bad, my attitude towards the game sucks. The worse I run, the quicker my attitude towards the game negatively declines. I am not talking about tilt. I really have had a handle on tilt for a while now. Its more like........."Wow, another 3 outer for a chiplead at the bubble, why do I even bother."..... Almost like I expect it to happen. It's just not the thought process anyone should have.

Have fun---even though poker has been a real nice second source of income, it is a game. Games are suppose to be fun. Again, when I run bad, the game is just not fun. This is why I am in the middle of yet, another break from playing. I will continue to do this in the future. There is nothing wrong with taking a break from something that you love so much. Especially poker, it is always going to be there when I decide to come back.

Balance---I am proud to state that the wheels are already in motion with this one. I moved into my own place in December. Its just a small studio apartment, but it is perfect for me. I have cooked almost all my meals at home, which is a massive leap for me, being in the food service industry my entire life, I have always eating on the run. I have not had a drop of alcohol since December 26th, and have no intentions of drinking again until I shed 40lbs. I have mixed in the gym of late (not nearly enough), and look to ramp it up going forward this year.

One thing is for sure, poker is the biggest reason I have lived an unbalanced life for long enough. I mean, I can't even tell you the last time I went on a date. Not that I am boyfriend material, but I should at least try. I need to stay steadfast in my mission to keep things balanced.

Looking back on my 6 years of playing poker, it is only when I am in a positive state of mind, that I play the most optimal poker. This is something that Rex worked into my head over and over. The only thing stopping me from being the best I could be at this game, was me. When I am in the zone, and shrugging off bad beats, swatting them away like little flies, and moving on to the next hand immediately, this is when I win, and I play my best. It's a grind, and it calls for a very positive mind, at all times.

During my current break from playing, I have been very active with the game. I have been watching video's, shadowing friend's. Reading and studying HH's of my own, and other players on pocket fives. Spent a lot of time discussing certain MTT strategy's with l3irdman, who by the way, is crushing the micro levels right now. He has 3 outright wins in the past month, no chops, this kid is fearless.

Even though I have taken time off from playing, I have kept myself submerged in the game.

I have such a huge passion for this game. One would think after six years of playing, eating and breathing the game, I would lose some of that passion. It seems to me, it's stronger than ever. I don't know what it is. Maybe its just the way I am. I get so pigeon-holed when I want something bad enough. It was the same way with baseball when I was a kid. I would of done anything to play.

I more than likely will play online very soon, but first, I am going to play live a few times to gain some of my confidence back.

When I do come back to the virtual felt, and you happen to catch me playing, I am warning you now; I am going to be doing some real wacky shit. I want/need to switch things up and experiment with some different theories.

The game has become very very aggressive. I need to find a profitable adjustment to it. I have been watching some of the best players online. They all have one thing in common. I need to find my way of getting there.

So, all those people who made those "New Year's Resolutions," good luck, and I hope you achieve each and everyone. Me on the other hand, I am going to focus on paying close attention to my "guidelines"

Savant

2009-12-30T01:12:00.000-05:00

Tips from the Pro's

2009-12-21T23:58:00.002-05:00

Ol' Dirty

2009-12-18T01:55:00.000-05:00

86 Cyber Felt

2009-12-17T06:50:00.004-05:00

Its just not fun playing online anymore. If its not a 3 outer, its a cooler on the money bubble for a chip leading pot. I mean, its so bad, it has become predictable. All anyone wants to do anymore is coin flip, and apparently, I am not a professional coin flipper. The players are not getting better, they are just more aggressive. 4 bet jam any pocket's or broadway cards. Push and pray. That is all I have seen. BORING!

I am signed up for the last 2 MFTOP's. I will play those on Sunday, and then I am done playing online MTT's. Could be a month, could be month's, could be forever if our government has it's way. I am not sure. Whatever........... I am sure about one thing, I am not playing online again until it's fun.

2009-12-16T14:59:00.000-05:00

2009-12-14T15:21:00.000-05:00

95 live freestyle

2009-12-05T14:43:00.001-05:00

l3iRdMaN

2009-11-18T14:17:00.002-05:00

Congrats to l3iRdMan. He finished 2nd in the daily 30K last week. This kid works really hard on his game, and this is well deserved. This score allowed him to pass me on New Hampshire Pocket Fives. Good work Alex, you better keep it going, as soon as I get control of my spazz button, you are in trouble!

WPT FoxwoodsTrip Report- Part II

2009-11-11T13:59:00.007-05:00

Early in Level 4, the most interesting hand of my tournament came up

Blinds: $200/$400 $50 ante

Seat 5 makes it $1250. Action folds to me in the SB, I look down at 55. Now, seat 5 had been 2.5X all day long. This is the first time he made it 3X or better all day. He had just lost a 30K AIPF pot with 99 vs Serock's AK. It seemed to me that he was steaming a little, and he is more active than he has been all day. I put him on 2 broadway cards, like AT-AK, KQ, KJ, KT, QJ, QT. While pockets are possible, I took them out of his range, because I saw him showdown pockets previously and he just flatted with them preflop.

Flop- Q34 with 2 spades.

I check, and he checks behind.

Turn- Q

I check and he makes it $2800. This was a pot size bet. He had never made a pot size bet all day. I carve out $2800 from my stack, and as I put the chips in the middle, I ask him, "Why so much? Why are you playing this hand so fast?"

River- Q

Again I check. he takes some chips out of his stack, looks at the pot and then goes back to his stack to carve out some more chips. He finally makes it $6600 to go! Wow! Another pot size bet. There are 2 good reason's why I feel my hand is good here and he doesn't want a call.

1. His bet sizing is way off from what he has been doing all day, I have played numerous pots with him, and this is the first time he has taken a line like this one.

2. In our previous battles he was always looking at me, making eye contact most of the hand. All day he looked very confident when he was putting bets out, this time he looked rather uncomfortable. He almost never made eye contact with me, and the brim of his hat was way low covering most of his face as he stared at the felt.

Here's the big problem though, after taking the $6600 out of my stack, I realize that if I make this call and I am wrong, I am left with about 7K, this pretty much cripples me. I am leaving myself in a very bad spot, if I am wrong.

A combination of the thoughts above, and the fact that he would have protected a made hand and bet the flop with the 2 spades out there, I finally called, and he tabled AJ hearts. I scooped my biggest pot of the day.

I ended level 4 with $34,350.

I played exactly 2 hands in the last level of the day

Blinds $300/$600 $75 ante

I raised from the hijack seat with AKs to $1500. The SB flatted my raise and lead out at me with a 3/4 pot size bet on a 8 high board. He loved the stop and go play, but I just didn't want to continue with the hand.

I raised from the button to $1500 with 99, and the BB flatted me and lead into me on a AKx board. I folded.

I ended Day 1 with $29,300. My starting stack =(

I had 99 dealt to me 5 times and won with it once. I had AK dealt to me 6 times and won with it once. I did not get AA, KK, QQ, JJ, TT once. Not one Fucking time!!! Biggest tournament of my life, and I go card dead. The only 2 reason I even made day 2 was because of the tournament structure, and the call I made with 55.

DAY 2

REDRAW! The entire room gets new seating assignments. I am not sure how I feel about this, I think I would like to go back to the same table as I have a good read on most of my opponents, but I guess its works the same for everyone. The only thing that sucks is that I am moved to table 20, which is one of the first tables to break, so I wont be there for long.

Before I go to the casino for Day 2 play. I Google all the players at my new table. The 2 big stacks are to my immediate left Frank Calo a.k.a. (Frank1The1Tank), and some Eugene kid that I've never seen before, but has 38 live cashes.

Sadly there is nothing to report about at this table. I got to watch Frank Calo, knocked 2 players out with AA, and then the table broke. I played 1 hand the entire time (a whole blind level, 90 minutes).

Blinds: $400/$800 $100 ante

I am in the cutoff with AJs, I make it $2000 to go, and the BB moves all in for all of my chips, he had over 100K. I folded, he showed KK.

Table Break

I get to my new table and I am sat directly to the left of Kenna James. I was so busy looking at how big Kenna's stack was I didn't even realize who was in seat 4 with an even bigger stack, Michael "The Grinder" Mizrachi.

Before I continue on, let me say, Mizrachi comes as advertised. When he has chips, he is the "Boss". He plays 85% of the pots, and he controls almost all of the action. I would like to see how he plays a short stack, but I never got to. He is so confident (almost cocky). He plays with a very smooth but methodical pace. A constant grin on his face, like he is stealing something from you, and you cant do anything about it, unless you have chips of course. One thing I noticed, after playing with him for a few hours, he likes to just call peoples raise, and take pots away on later streets. He is one of the better post flop players I have ever watched, maybe the best.

When I got moved to this table, I was already in trouble as I only had 16 BB's. I really needed a double up or I was going home. It is only thanks to Kenna James that I made it as long as I did. Any time Mizrachi would fold (not very often), Kenna would open the pot for 3X, I would shove my 12-16 BB's and he would fold. I abused Kenna with this play 4 times. This is a dangerous game to play, but it is the only way of survival for me at this point, besides, he is only calling me with a monster hand here. Kenna had a little over 150K in chips, but his calling range is narrow for the rest of my stack. My stack is to small for me to put a standard 3-bet into him, so my only option (besides folding) is 3-bet shoving. I think he finally got sick of me shoving my stack in his face, because he stopped coming in for a raise after the 4th time I did it to him. So, Kenna kept me alive much longer than I should have been. We had a good thing going.

I finally was down to below 14BB's. It folded around to me in the SB, I looked down at KJs and shoved. The BB snapped me off!!!! Ooops!!! I knew before I saw his hand that I was in trouble, He tabled AK, and I brick out. This is a pretty standard spot, blind vs. blind, later in a MTT, with my stack size, imo. I mean, I am not open folding KJ, BvB with my stack size. KJ is miles ahead of a random hand.

I walked out of the card room with a smile on my face, knowing I played my best game. No matter how good the player, or how well they play, if one doesn't get hands or ever put some chips together, there is only so far a person can go in a MTT.

I would be lying to you if I said I didn't get a little bumbed out by being so card dead, during this event. As I packed up my things at the hotel, and drove home, the further away from the casino I got, the more crestfallen I felt. I just played the biggest tournament of my life, for life changing money, and I didn't get a premium hand. Not one single time, almost 14 hours of play. That has never happened to me.

I was quickly reminded by my friends how lucky I was to even be there.

It was one of the most amazing experience's, not just in my short poker career, but in my entire life. I can thank "The Johnsons" enough for giving me this incredible gift, and giving me a shot at a dream of mine.

I also need to thank my boss Gregg for being there for Day 1 and buying me dinner (twice). It was awesome to have you around down there, thanks so much.

So, I leave you with a quote from a good friend:

"I'm sorry the cards and luck weren't there for you Ed, but your progress in poker over the last few years both on the table, but more importantly your mindset, will reap you much success in the future. This was just a step along your journey... not a defining moment...those moments are yet to come for you...." Rex55

WPT FoxwoodsTrip Report- Part I

2009-11-10T22:41:00.009-05:00

Thursday October 5th.

I arrive at Foxwoods at 11:40am, glad I did show up early , as there is a line forming to sign the WPT release form. I sign the form and chat with Gregg for a bit, and head into the poker room to get settled in at my table.

Looking around the room, I see Matt Stout, Adam Levy, Chad Batista, Eric Haber (sheets), Nick Shulman, Chad Brown, Michael "The Grinder" Mizrachi, Brock (tsoprano) Parker, and many, many other pro's. At this point, I am getting very excited to start this event. Its kinda weird, I am not nervous at all, I am just excited to get to work. I want to get deep in this event.

I am seated at table 7, seat 9. We start with 30K in chips, blinds are 90 minute levels long (by far the best structure I have ever played). Surprisingly, I don't recognize any of the players at my first table. The player in seat 5 is chatting it up with many of the pro's, so I assume he travels the circuit.

I stick with my plan and don't get active at all. I am paying very close attention to my opponents and all the action at the table.
Seat 1= older guy who is on rock island.
Seat 2, 3 & 4 = LAG, this is where most of the action is happening.
Seat 5= Mixes it up a little, but for the most part seems to play TAG.
Seat 6= by far the youngest and most active player at the table, seems to have many gears. He is opening a ton of pots, and seems to be a skilled player, playing LAG game. I didn't know who he was until the end of the day when he signed his chip bag, Joe Serock! It all made sense after that. He tore up the WSOP this summer.
Seat 7= Older guy that FT WPT, pretty much TAG.
Seat 8= Never showed up until the 3rd level of the day.
Seat 9= me.

The only eventful hand that I played in the first level was the only hand I got.

Blinds: $50/$100
Action folds to Seat 6 (Serock), who opens from the Hijack seat for $300.
Seat 7 folds
Seat 8 absent
I look down at 99. I decide to just flat the raise for 2 reasons:

1. I don't want to play a big pot with 99 OOP, Ive already seen Serock raise and call a 3-bet when in position 4 or 5 times by this point.

2. Deception. By just cold-calling his raise, I can hide the strength of my hand.

Flop- 665 rainbow

While Serock had been playing many hands, I hadn't seen him showdown a hand yet, so I really was having a hard time ranging him. I pretty much figured him for 2 broadway cards here, but really his range is so huge, because he has played so many pots. Either way, I thought this was as good of a flop as any for my hand.

Again, I don't want to play a big pot with 99, so I decide I am going to check/call. I am fully aware that he is going to c-bet 95% of flops in position vs me here. He makes it $400, and I call.

Turn- 2

Just like the flop, this a good card for my hand. I actually thought about leading out with a 1/2 pot size bet here, as he really should fold any 2 broadway cards here. Something felt weird about this hand though, so I decided to check and re-evaluate after he acted. He puts a 1/2 pot size bet out (around $750). With this board I just cant let this hand go for that price. I called.

River- 8

Again, pretty safe card for my hand. The only hands that get him there are 88, and 79 (which I have a hard time putting him on since I am holding 2 of the 4 nines in the deck).
I check. He pulls out 3-1K chips and drops them on the bet line!?!?!?!?!?!?!?! What is this??? Why the big over bet? Now I am really confused. Did he really get there with 88? But, if he rivers the second nuts, why wouldn't he want to get value for the hand. It just smells like a busted draw, or a 3rd barrel for the steal. I tanked it for a good 5 minutes, and finally called. Serock tables 62!.........sigh......fml....

He played the hand perfectly, getting value on every street, and then slamming the river, to make it look like he missed and was on a steal.

I however, played the hand terrible. This is the only hand the entire tournament I played bad. Just a weird spot. Serock was 1 of 2 players the entire tournament I had a difficult time with.

*********Please understand that I almost never play a hand like this. I recommend that no one gets into the habit of just calling bets OOP. I am not a fan of "just calling". The only time I like to call, is if i am trapping an aggressive opponent, or to induce a bluff on the river with a medium holding. I am a HUGE believer in controlling the action, always!

I ended Level 1 with $23,250

Blinds: $100/$200
Serock makes it 600 in mp. I flat call with QJs on the button, the SB and BB fold. Flop comes J high, Serock leads for $1600 (pot size). Against another opponent, I am probably folding to this bet. Serock has been way to active, and I want to take control of this pot, and possibly take it down right here. I 3-bet him and bring it to $4,200. He looks at my remaining stack, and then the the flop, and folds.

Blinds: $100/$200
Seat 5 & 7 flat call, because of the 2 limps I make it $1100 with AQs. Seat 5 c/r it to $3100. This is usually very strong hand. I fold, he claims he had JJ.

I end level 2 with $27,175.

I am very quiet in level 3 as I am very card dead, and my table is very active. Seat 5 and I go at it a few times, he folds to a few of my 3-bets preflop and vise-versa. I end level 3 with $32,075

Busto Day 2 :(

2009-11-07T11:20:00.001-05:00

I will have a full trip report tomorrow or the day after.

Day 2

2009-11-06T10:55:00.003-05:00

Location: North Stonington CT.

Don't ask me how, but I made it through day 1. Sadly I never had a premium hand (AA, KK, QQ, JJ, not once!). There are a couple of interesting hands that I may discuss if I do a trip report, but I just don't have time right now.

I have 29K, and my table draw is not that bad at all. 2 pros, both of them are the big stacks, the better of the 2 is on my right, so that is good.

I need to be very selective and play cautiously, until I double up today.

There were 353 entries, 206 players left, average stack is 51K, 36 get paid. $910,000.00 for first.

I must run better today than I did yesterday, if I am to make day 3. I was very patient yesterday, and hope the poker gods reward me today for it.

Live updates at the breaks for those of you that are facebook friends with me.

World Poker Tour

2009-11-04T15:25:00.004-05:00

Location: North Stonington CT.

Just got settled into my hotel room, which is 3-4 miles from Foxwoods. I have packed enough stuff to be here for the next 6 days. Lets hope I need to use it all.

My boss Gregg, is arriving here right behind me, and I plan on having dinner with him and than going to watch some of the 5K final table that is taking place today. I will probably come back to the hotel relatively early, maybe play some online, but for the most part just take it easy.

The main event starts at Noon tomorrow. I can hardly wait for the cards to get in the air. Which pros am I going to be sitting across from?

I have thought about my day 1 strategy now for a solid 2 weeks. I am just going to really focus on what my opponents are doing, and not get to involved. Let things come to me, don't force anything. The structure is so insanely good, that really I don't have to force anything:

Tournament Format
Days 1 - 3: Play will consist of 5 levels per day
Day 4: 5 levels or down to 10 players
Day 5: Play down to 6 players
Day 6: WPT Final Table
1. Players start with $30,000 in non-value tournament chips.
2. Each level will be played for 90 minutes. The levels at the “Final
Table” will be 60 minutes and once there are two players remaining
each level will be 30 minutes.
3. 15 minute break after each level on Days 1 - 5.
4. The break schedule for Day 6 will be announced on that day.

Day 1:

Betting Structure
$30,000 Starting Chip Stack
Level Blinds Ante
1 $50 ~ $100
2 $100 ~ $200
3 $100 ~ $200 $25
4 $200 ~ $400 $50
5 $300 ~ $600 $75

So sick, This is defiantly the best structure of any tournament I have ever played. I would like to say that gives me plenty of time to manipulate the donkeys, and exploit their weaknesses, but I don't think there will be too many of those playing in this tournament.

I really need to focus in harder than I ever have before and play my best poker. Be VERY patient, this tournament isn't won in the first 2 days.

I am usually pretty talkative at my tables, I like to extract information from weaker players. In this tournament things have to be different, I need to zip it up. These guys are talented and I need not to give away any information. That is how they make a living, and I am not here to feed them.

I am VERY lucky as a micro player to have this opportunity. There are many avid players who would love to be in my spot. I am going to play my hardest and not give up, no matter how things go. I will fight my absolute hardest until all the chips are in front of me, or until I hear "good game", and I have to make that lonely walk out the card room.

What ever happens, I am giving it everything I have in me to play my best game. This is a 5-year dream come true for me. I am going to be in the zone like I never have before.

Carpe Diem.

Foxwoods trip # 1

2009-10-19T11:24:00.002-04:00

Just finishing up packing and getting ready to drive the 4 hours south to Foxwoods. I have to pay for internet down there, and hopefully I wont have time to update because I will be at the tables to long. However, if you are on Facebook, I will be updating live from the tables via my phone.

Tuesday is the $400 Stud tournament, and Wednesday is the $400 NLHE (900 players), which will be good practice for the 10K ME. I will do a trip report with significant hands when I get back home and find some time. Hopefully with a cash or 2?

My boyz wicked smaht

2009-10-12T15:39:00.002-04:00

Final Tables and WPT Main Event

2009-10-10T15:01:00.006-04:00

So, this week has been kinda crazy, to say the least.

I made 2 final tables. On Wednesday I won the $22 HU MTT with almost 500 runners. I won all 9 of my matches to take it down. I really like where my HU game is right now, I feel that I am an above average HU player, only because I have put so much time into it. After multi's, HU is defiantly the most time I have spent online playing. I believe this is the 4th time I have final tabled this event, and the second time I have won it,I have played it way more than the average however.

Just a few hours ago, I final tabled the $77 6 max. At the final table I was chip leader for a good while, after my TT held vs the chip leaders AT. I lost a 500K flip AJ<22, and before I knew it I was down to 12BB's. I was in the BB with 33 and the button jammed it with A5, I looked him up for all my chips, and he got there. Trout didn't like the call, but I thought it was pretty standard. I don't fold up the money chain, I play to win. 4th place, meh.

So, its been a good week. I am certainly running better than I was the previous couple of months. By running better, I mean that my hands are actually holding up. It does a ton for a players confidence when things fall into place. Its nice to have the donktards look you up with beat hands and they don't actually run miracle 3 outers on you. I feel like I am playing solid right now, and really am focusing hard while I play.

This is almost identically the same time last year that I went on that sick run. October 08, I was playing really well, and running good, and I just hit it out of the park in November 08. Hopefully I can replicate that this year.

*************************************************************

As my 2 loyal readers know, I am a bartender (and now manager) at a successful restaurant. I have been there on and off for about 7 years. When you work at a place for that long, you build relationships with the local clientele.

There is this one family that has been coming in for around 5 years, maybe more? For the sake of this blog, we will call them the Johnson's.

The Johnson's are a VERY wealthy family. By far the wealthiest family I have ever gotten to know. Now, let it be known that most of my experiences with the wealthy, and I have had a ton experience working for the wealthy (especially when I was working down in South Florida), are typically not that nice. I hate to stereotype, but for the most part, the more money they have the more disrespectful they are to servants like myself. Of course this is not always the case, but for the most part that has been my experience.

What makes the Johnson's so unique and special is, ever since day 1, they have been nothing but respectful, kind, and very generous. They are always curious of all the employees and want to know what everyone does, has done, and wants to do in life. They never once have talked down to me, or any of our staff. Its just so refreshing to witness people with endless amounts of money, be so kind, and for the most part, treat everyone equal.

Over the years, I have gotten to know this family very well, and vise-versa. They have asked me about my background, upbringing etc. So I told them. I shared with them that I have never met my father, and that my mother was/is a piece of shit, that she was/is a drunk and drug addict, that I left her by the age of 15. I shared with them my huge passion and desire to play baseball when I was a child, and pursued it into my mid 20's. I shared with them my massive passion to become a great poker player over the past 5 years.

By the way, Mr. Johnson doesn't like "gambling", even though I have explained to him that poker is a game of skill, he is way against it. That is what makes what I am about to tell you even more odd.

So, this past Tuesday I am managing/hosting the restaurant, like I always do. The Johnson's come in promptly @ 5:30 like they always do on Tuesdays. I am walking them to their table and they ask me to sit with them for a couple of minutes. I sit down, and the son hands me a thick envelope, and says enjoy playing in the WPT main event at Foxwoods in November. My hands start shaking and I immediately tried to hand it back and said, "I cant except that". No sooner than I said that, Mr. Johnson started to get mad and said he left the truck running and would leave if I didn't except it.

I was completely beside myself. I couldn't believe that they just handed me a 10K stack of 100 dollar bills, like it was a candy bar. Nothing like this has ever happen to me in my entire life. Its just so.........surreal.

I did not envision my first 10K event being played by the way of a.........customer tip? I would love to take this 10K and drop it on my student loans, but that is not what they gave me the money for. They would be very disappointed if I didn't use it for the WPT ME. They explained to me that they have been fortunate enough to see their own dreams come true, and they get great pleasure being able to watch others have a shot at their dreams.

It still has'nt really sunk in that I am going to be playing my first ever WPT event on November 5th. So sick. I cant wait! I am doing everything in my power to be sharp and on top of my skills that I have worked so hard on the past 5 years. I cant wait to sit across the table from, Eric Seidel, Gus Hanson, James Camby etc.... I mean, Foxwoods, doesn't bring the WPT crowds that it once did. The WPT isn't what it was 3 years ago at any stop. A lot of the pros I would like to sit with are playing somewhere else, like EPT's, Vegas, etc. Either way, I am playing for life changing money, and fulfilling two of my goals that I set at the beginning of the year.

Its just so incredible, the first 15 or so years of my life, pretty much sucked. I had no male figure in my life, my mother moved me 15-20 times in the 15 years I was with her ( not including the 2 years in was in and out of foster homes ages 4-6 because of her massive addictions). My education suffered dearly due to the instability of my mother. I saw things at way to early of an age that any normal child should ever see. I was sexually molested by her drug dealer at age 10. She was kind enough to leave me alone with him on numerous occasions, until I finally went to the cops about it. I cant really remember if I went to the cops or a friend, but I certainly didn't go to my mother about it, because FUCK her. Shes still a piece of shit from what I hear, still suffers today with her demons. To be perfectly honest, I hope she dies a slow, painful death. She certantly has earned it. I left her at 15 and have not talked to her since, and never will again. She's dead to me.

I became a product of my environment. I was drinking by age 12, doing drugs shortly after. Constantly getting thrown out of school. I had been arrested 8-10 times by the age of 15. Growing up in that environment you really close the world out, put yourself in a huge glass box, don't let people in. For the longest time I lived by what I like to call DTA (Dont Trust ANYONE), and I still do for the most part.

It took many years for me to break the bad habits I had picked up while growing up in this environment. I still battle some of them today, at the age of 35. One thing is for sure though. I am a very strong individual. I am a survivor. I will survive in just about any situation I am put in.

And then........something like this happens. It's just makes it so tough for me to view people the way I usually do when I see people do things like this. It makes it hard for me to live by DTA, when I have bosses like I do. Gregg is by far one of the most amazing people I have ever been around.

Even though facebook says I have over 600 friends, I really only trust a couple of people in this world.

What the Johnsons did for me is amazing. Don't get me wrong, I am still always going to be stubborn and more than likely not trust people, but it certainly makes me want to soften my stance on things.

The first half of my life was not very good, but the second half has been pretty impressive. I have been really lucky. There are many people who have had a huge impact on my success. I don't need to name them, you know who you are. Most of them don't read this anyway, but I thank them in other ways.

Well, that was one heck of a rant.

Enough of that, I have a WPT to prepare for.

Goal #1: Make day 2!

Dirty Money

2009-10-07T10:33:00.002-04:00

Online Poker is Rigged <

2009-10-03T22:17:00.007-04:00

OK, I obviously don't really feel that way after the past 2 years of success I have achieved online, but, the way I have run the past few weeks, I can certainly see why people would think that it is rigged.

I mean, I keep hearing all these pros talking about how the game is getting tougher and the players are getting better. They are?!?!?!? Please show me where? They certainly are not at the micro level. I have seen nothing but flat out awful displays of poorly played hands, on every street. I mean, more than 60% of these players don't even have a plan, they just stick it in drawing so thin. I don't know if they even realize how thin they are/were drawing, when the cards get turned over?

I have put it in as a 70% favorite way to many times over the past few weeks, and got whitewashed right into runner runner miracle cards. It's enough to drive anyone bonkers. I even had a small tilt session last week.

All I can do going forward, is continue to make solid plays. Keep putting myself in the +ev spots I have been putting myself in.

Variance can kiss my over sized ass! I will stop playing online, I don't even care. The problem for me is, when I run bad like that for long enough, I start to question things, and start playing poorly. That will not happen. I will stop playing online before I start doing that. It really isn't fun to get 2 and 3 outed, 8 times a day in key spots in MTT's, over the course of 15+ sessions in a row. I can think of a few things that would be a lot more fun than that.

I have also been pretty bad with the rail chat again. I have been berating players for their terrible play......again.............sigh. This is counterproductive. I need to keep 2 things in prospective:
(1) Most of the players I am playing against are just recreational players and don't really give two shits about poker, and how it should be played, or even care what I think about their play.
(2) I want these calls from these donktards. I am such a huge favorite, its just stupid how good they run against me right now, and its not going to last.

Its just so frustrating to look these opponents up on OPR and see that they are losing players, and they just peeled off a 3 outer, to take a massive pot from me at the bubble, with a hand they had no business playing. The thing is, they are so bad that they don't even know how to get value when they do hit their miracle cards. They will flat my preflop raise, float the flop and turn 3/4 pot size bets, with some silly 6 high flush draw or gutter ball straight draw. All the while, I am holding AA, KK or a set. They get there on the river, and check in front!?!?!?!?!?!? You sir, are a fucking idiot! You just hit a miracle card on the river, and you check in front!?!?! I just put 3/4 of my stack out there, I am completely pot stuck and you check in front, and are NOT going to get the rest of my stack, lmfao, hahahahahaha. They just don't get it, or don't care. No plans, just gamble.

In these moments I can feel the fire burning, straight steam rolling out of the head, my ears are burning up. It's just so...........deflating.

Whatever! In the end, I love this game way to much to just pack it in and quit. I just may not play as much as I have in the past. I have molded my game around tournament play. These are the things I need to learn to deal with, and I have, but I certainly have room to grow.

Online poker is a grind, not rigged. You get out of this game what you put in. The game owes nothing to anyone of us, and can feel very iniquitous at times.

The feeling of taking down a 10-15 hour tournament, beating a massive field, is like......... no other feeling really. It's incredible! I really cant wait to do it again......

Made You Look

2009-09-26T00:21:00.001-04:00

Bumbaklot

2009-09-16T14:08:00.001-04:00

All good things come to an end?

2009-09-15T13:53:00.003-04:00

Well, I have had a really fun summer. So much fun that I have barely played poker. I haven't even put a post on this blog in a month.

The only poker I have played over the past month has been live. I ran the 1/2 tables for the 4 hours I was at the Casino De Montreal, last week when I went up there for 2 days with 4 friends. The poker room has been part of the casino for under 6 months, and the play was rather soft. I was way aggro and was only looked up and or played back at by 2 young players. The old Frenchmen despise aggression. Its pretty funny to listen to them say mean things in french under their breath, each time you rake in a pot that you got them to fold a much better hand with. =) I can pretty much thank the old Frenchman for paying for my trip to Montreal. I <3 that city so much, If you have not been, I highly recommend it.

Last Sunday, I went to the final table of the weekly $200 @ Seabrook with a monster chip lead. I had 500K in chips (1.4mm in play) when the next closest had 200K. I was using pure aggression and my stack to absolutely pwn the table from 12 players on. Long story short, we got 4 way and the players wanted to chop, and I refused. There was only 1 player I was chopping with at that table, and I ended up busting him. I eventually got HU with the worst player I have played with in a long time, he asked for a chop and I said NO! However, I did lose to him. So I guess that makes me a REALLY bad player, hahahaha. I am not chopping anything with bad players, it's that simple. They were all getting mad at me, but I don't care. I have earned my edge over them, by working harder than them at this game, and I am not leaving money on the table. If they beat me, well then congrats, gg sir.

oh well, 2K for my troubles. If I took down first place, I would have been buying the boat I want. I will win the money for my boat next summer,<--------- mark my words!

Ok, now that summer is over, it's time get serious again. I have not decided when I am going to play online again, but I am starting to get that itch again. I have got a ton of confidence going, from my recent live play. I have been studying the game again, and feel very focused. It's going to be a long winter living in Wolfeboro, so I am ready to put a ton of energy into my game.

Recently while @ a Seabrook $250, I was at a table with l3iRdMaN. We got to talking quite a bit, and I have found that he has the same drive to be great at this game. He is very young and already has a great thought process about the game. I am very excited to have another person that is very focused on the game to discuss HH's and strategy with.

Fall time is just around the corner, which means the WPT Foxwoods World Poker Finals is coming. I am booking a trip down there so I can play the $400 Stud on October 20th and the $400 NLHE on the 21st. I may also try to sattelitte into the main event while I am down there.

Time for bigsoxfan05 to shake off the dust. See ya on the felt.

Balance

2009-08-17T23:42:00.006-04:00

I really like how things have gone over the past 2 months. I feel like I am the most balanced I have been in a long time. I am sure much of this has to do with my time spent at the gym. I am very excited about my workouts again. I actually look forward to them right now (minus the pain I experience in my knees, mostly the right knee, which is going to need medical attention at some point, sigh).

But yeah, I really hope I keep this self motivation in tact. If I can drop some of this unnecessary weight, I just know it will help with everything; work, poker, life etc...

I have also been having a blast this summer. Tons of hanging out with friends, at least tons for me. The past few years, I really have been a home body, outside of work. This mostly has to do with poker. I will always play poker, and I will always have my huge goals that I want to reach in poker, but that doesn't mean that my life has to revolve around it ALL the time. Which it defiantly has in the past.

With my new management position at Garwoods, I have falling into a nice routine.

As far as poker goes, I have run pretty well lately in smaller buyin MTT's, but have run pretty poorly in the bigger buyins. The most important ingredient for me over the past month, is how well I have played. It hasn't been my A+ game, but it has been a solid B+/A game on a consistent basis. I feel I am growing more and more with each session. I feel as though, I am very in tune with many of the important aspects of MTT's; table image, opponents tendency's, stack sizes, knowing where my hand is, knowing my opponents holdings, getting full value in spots. Don't get me wrong, I have made mistakes, but they are so few that once I start winning some of these 60/40's, and my 70/30's start holding, they better look out!

I have been "taken shots" at bigger games that don't really fit my bankroll (sorry dicktrout, I just cant be a nit like you). This is something I am always going to do when I feel I am playing solid poker. I feel I can hang with most anyone, when my game is on.

hahahahahahha, that reminds me, I made a big booboo on Sunday. I won a $109 satty, and was going to play it thinking it was a freeze out, then when my table popped up, I saw everyone adding on chips!?!?!?!?!?!?!? It was the 109 Rebuy, uuuuuugggggggh! I don't care how on top of my game I am right now, I am not ready for those guys, and I don't have the bankroll to support that type of Rebuy. So, I played without any Rebuy, and almost made it to the break. I gambled late in the rebuy hour, trying to get a hold of some chips, cause I wasn't going to add on. Either way I didn't have to worry about the add on, because I didn't make the break. Oh well.

There WILL come a day when I do play the 109R with confidence. I WILL play for a WSOP bracelet. I WILL play in a WPT, EPT, LAPT. 1 hand at a time.....

I WILL continue to keep a more balanced daily schedule.

Irator

2009-07-30T00:29:00.000-04:00

Haunting Hand

2009-07-21T17:48:00.005-04:00

So I never run well in $55's on PStars. Strange things like losing AA to a smaller pp or I hit a set and lose to someone who cant let go of a flush or straight draw. I've only cashed in a few of them, and have had zero deep runs in any of them, until this past Sunday. I played the daily 80K, which is a giant field on Sunday. It plays so big that they extend the guarantee to 200K.

After 9 hours of solid play and running really well, I found myself at the final table with a top 3 stack. I was pretty much abusing the table. With the exception of one player, they were letting me get away with murder. Then the hand that will haunt me for a long time to come, came up:

PokerStars Game #30657067602: Tournament #178348665, $50+$5 Hold'em No Limit - Level XXX (25000/50000) - 2009/07/19 23:08:06 ET
Table '178348665 399' 9-max Seat #8 is the button
Seat 1: diktatore (781753 in chips)
Seat 2: mikal12345 (1375820 in chips)
Seat 3: "88k" (2948383 in chips)
Seat 4: bigsoxfan05 (2677230 in chips)
Seat 6: stortv (4119900 in chips)
Seat 7: progre69 (1860693 in chips)
Seat 8: deoxyribo (1809221 in chips)
diktatore: posts the ante 5000
mikal12345: posts the ante 5000
"88k": posts the ante 5000
bigsoxfan05: posts the ante 5000
stortv: posts the ante 5000
progre69: posts the ante 5000
deoxyribo: posts the ante 5000
diktatore: posts small blind 25000
mikal12345: posts big blind 50000
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to bigsoxfan05 [9d 9h]
"88k": folds
bigsoxfan05: raises 100000 to 150000
stortv: folds
progre69: raises 1705693 to 1855693 and is all-in
deoxyribo: folds
diktatore: folds
mikal12345: folds
bigsoxfan05: calls 1705693
*** FLOP *** [5d Ac 7s]
*** TURN *** [5d Ac 7s] [8s]
*** RIVER *** [5d Ac 7s 8s] [4c]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
bigsoxfan05: shows [9d 9h] (a pair of Nines)
progre69: shows [Ks Ah] (a pair of Aces)
progre69 collected 3821386 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 3821386 | Rake 0
Board [5d Ac 7s 8s 4c]
Seat 1: diktatore (small blind) folded before Flop
Seat 2: mikal12345 (big blind) folded before Flop
Seat 3: "88k" folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 4: bigsoxfan05 showed [9d 9h] and lost with a pair of Nines
Seat 6: stortv folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 7: progre69 showed [Ks Ah] and won (3821386) with a pair of Aces
Seat 8: deoxyribo (button) folded before Flop (didn't bet)

So, I 3X UTG with 99 and progre69 snap shoved. Here's the thing, earlier on he was pretty LAG, but he had really shut it down previous to the FT and @ the FT. I just knew this was AK, I tanked it for a long time, but sadly made the call. You saw how the rest of it went. I have been beating myself up ever since.

I have never had a hand linger in my head like this one has. I worked a double the next day and couldn't stop thinking about it.

I didn't evaluate the situation well enough. I was pushing these guys around, and just didn't need to play a 38BB pot with 7 players left to go and a top 3 stack.

I just couldn't stop thinking about it, so I went to some of my friends from the poker world, 3 well known pros, and asked how they might have played it:

Believer82: "ya I would have folded preflop you cant beat much in his range there and still few player left behind."

devinr12: "a fold is fine. you opened in ep and got rrd from mp. But at the same time, its not an awful call. if its a good table i can understand folding. but 30 odd bbs with 99 is never that in correct. your hoping he has ak, he probably never has 88"

voff voff voff: "hey coach, tough break here... i would start by making it around 3x just like you did. I think folding to the shove is the standard play here, but I'm guessing you were having a hard time putting him on any hand other than AK.

Honestly, I don't hate the call, but I would probably fold. If he flipped up his cards and showed me the AK, I would take the coinflip... but if he has TT-QQ even like 10% of the time, your call probably turns -EV. He'll almost never have AA here, but I can see JJ popping up often enough to make this a fold.

Also, if you're running them over a bit, that would indeed be good incentive to just get out of the way. Don't beat yourself up over it though...more than half the time you're taking a huge stack to the final 4 or 5 and making a run at first place. Keep up the deep runs!"

I also have been talking with Dicktrout & Rex a ton the past couple days about this spot. I am starting to feel a little better about things.

I am just so mad at myself! It is not often that you get to play for that type of pay day. I would have been saying peace out to the student loans =(

Not just the $$$, I just want to beat everyone.

I just can't be happy with getting through 5K runners, going to the FT 3/9 and not having a top 3 finish!?!?!?!?!?!? I feel I am way better at this game than that.

The only thing left to do now is learn from it, and put myself in that situation over and over. Keep getting closer and closer. 1 hand at a time.....

Crazy Grind

2009-07-12T23:18:00.004-04:00

Today was such a grind. I started the day playing some small buy-in MTT's (huge Sunday fields), mixed in with some satellites. I just owned satties today! I won 2 Sunday million tickets right out of the gate. I was going to play it when I won the first one, but I decided to unregister, and use the tournament dollars to 4-table all day. Its a decision I am glad I made.

Man, I was playing for a shit ton of dough today. Sadly the only final table I made was the smallest prize pool of them all. However, I won it. I went to the FT as the chip leader, lost it, got it back, lost it, got it back, lost it, got it back, etc... It was a turbo, so that is pretty standard to lose the chip lead in this type of format. It was small, but a 4 figure score is a 4 figure score. Baby steps. This is how November 08 came about.

It feels so good to win, no matter how little the stakes.

My session started around 1:30 today, and around 6, the shit started to hit the fan. I was 6 tabling at one point, and playing really well. However, the Bad Beat Bus ran right through my session. It was pretty gross, I almost tilted, but I said to myself "Don't give up, you have been here before, weather the storm." So I continued to focus even harder on the 2 tourneys I was deep in.

I have grown so much in this game. So many times in the past, the tilt monkey would have jumped out of the cage and start throwing banana's (chips) around for no reason at all. No matter how much you control tilt, it still sucks to build up a nice stack over the course of 2-4 hours, and have some lagtard call your all in with 67 to bust up your KK for a monster pot in a key situation. Then again, if the game was that easy I guess everyone would do it.

I put in a good 12 hour grind today. I am super impressed with my reads right now. I feel like I know where I am in each and every hand. Understand that I play micro levels, but I feel I am the best player at almost every table I play, with the exception of a few big dogs playing at the micro level, and when I take shots at the bigger games. I feel I am better than 90% of the players I am sitting across at the table with. I made 3 bad calls all day, and it was towards the end of the session when I was getting tired (something I defiantly need to work on).

The way I am playing right now, I feel like something big is going to happen, without getting ahead of myself. I want to just focus on playing solid poker, one hand at a time.

***********************************************************

Huge congrats to Devinr12 (Carter Gill), as he shipped the Sunday Warm up. 6 figure scores are fun =) This is a great time for this to come for Carter, as I feel he has been running on the downside of variance lately. He is such a cool guy. I love his style of play, he really pwns on the felt. I hope one day I get to chill with you Carter (your buying!)

Absquatulate

2009-07-06T13:40:00.005-04:00

They must have not made part 3 of the 40 years of WSOP, because I cant find it anywhere. I will keep looking for it and post it when it is ready.

I have played very little online lately and have just about zero results. MTT poker can be very frustrating. I have played very well, that is the frustrating part. I play well and lose to opponents that make horrendous play's and get very lucky. Yesterday is a perfect example. I was playing the Sunday 1/4 million on Stars. This hand came up:

PokerStars Game #30129273166: Tournament #175252621, $10+$1 Hold'em No Limit - Level V (75/150) - 2009/07/05 16:14:26 ET
Table '175252621 2418' 9-max Seat #3 is the button
Seat 1: Gabesz29 (7715 in chips)
Seat 2: WETSU1415 (4675 in chips)
Seat 3: adgfsfs (1840 in chips)
Seat 4: CdaFlopPls (5165 in chips)
Seat 5: ErnestoBla22 (3890 in chips)
Seat 6: jeremy1005 (4575 in chips)
Seat 7: bigsoxfan05 (10910 in chips)
Seat 8: partner4 (2700 in chips) is sitting out
Seat 9: killertofu81 (6115 in chips)
CdaFlopPls: posts small blind 75
ErnestoBla22: posts big blind 150
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to bigsoxfan05 [Qh Qc]
jeremy1005: calls 150<----------UTG limp
bigsoxfan05: raises 600 to 750,<--Due to the UTG limp, I like to make my raise bigger than a standard 3X
partner4: folds
killertofu81: folds
Gabesz29: folds
WETSU1415: folds
adgfsfs: folds
CdaFlopPls: folds
ErnestoBla22: folds
jeremy1005: calls 600
*** FLOP *** [8c 8d Js]
jeremy1005: checks
bigsoxfan05: bets 1150
jeremy1005: raises 2675 to 3825 and is all-in
bigsoxfan05: calls 2675
*** TURN *** [8c 8d Js] [Ad]<------------MBN
*** RIVER *** [8c 8d Js Ad] [3s]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
jeremy1005: shows [Jd As] (two pair, Aces and Jacks)
bigsoxfan05: shows [Qh Qc] (two pair, Queens and Eights)
jeremy1005 collected 9375 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 9375 | Rake 0
Board [8c 8d Js Ad 3s]
Seat 1: Gabesz29 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 2: WETSU1415 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 3: adgfsfs (button) folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 4: CdaFlopPls (small blind) folded before Flop
Seat 5: ErnestoBla22 (big blind) folded before Flop
Seat 6: jeremy1005 showed [Jd As] and won (9375) with two pair, Aces and Jacks
Seat 7: bigsoxfan05 showed [Qh Qc] and lost with two pair, Queens and Eights
Seat 8: partner4 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 9: killertofu81 folded before Flop (didn't bet)

Once the flop comes, the hand pretty much plays itself, he is not folding. He does exactly what I want him to do, but the turn gets him there. So I go from table chip leader to average stack. The very next hand:

PokerStars Game #30129305837: Tournament #175252621, $10+$1 Hold'em No Limit - Level V (75/150) - 2009/07/05 16:15:15 ET
Table '175252621 2418' 9-max Seat #4 is the button
Seat 1: Gabesz29 (7715 in chips)
Seat 2: WETSU1415 (4675 in chips)
Seat 3: adgfsfs (1840 in chips)
Seat 4: CdaFlopPls (5090 in chips)
Seat 5: ErnestoBla22 (3740 in chips)
Seat 6: jeremy1005 (9375 in chips)
Seat 7: bigsoxfan05 (6335 in chips)
Seat 8: partner4 (2700 in chips) is sitting out
Seat 9: killertofu81 (6115 in chips)
ErnestoBla22: posts small blind 75
jeremy1005: posts big blind 150
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to bigsoxfan05 [Kd Qc]
bigsoxfan05: raises 300 to 450
partner4: folds
killertofu81: folds
bigsoxfan05 said, "well played"<-----Hahaha, me steaming from the hand b4
Gabesz29: calls 450
WETSU1415: folds
adgfsfs: folds
CdaFlopPls: folds
ErnestoBla22: folds
jeremy1005: folds
*** FLOP *** [Th Jh 9d]<----------Flopped the joint
bigsoxfan05: bets 450<------Bet could have been bigger
Gabesz29: calls 450
*** TURN *** [Th Jh 9d] [As]
bigsoxfan05: bets 900<--------Bet could have been bigger, but I wanted the action.
Gabesz29: calls 900
*** RIVER *** [Th Jh 9d As] [Js]
bigsoxfan05: bets 4535 and is all-in<-----argument for playing river differently
Gabesz29: calls 4535
*** SHOW DOWN ***
bigsoxfan05: shows [Kd Qc] (a straight, Ten to Ace)
Gabesz29: shows [Jd Ad] (a full house, Jacks full of Aces)
Gabesz29 collected 12895 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 12895 | Rake 0
Board [Th Jh 9d As Js]
Seat 1: Gabesz29 showed [Jd Ad] and won (12895) with a full house, Jacks full of Aces
Seat 2: WETSU1415 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 3: adgfsfs folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 4: CdaFlopPls (button) folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 5: ErnestoBla22 (small blind) folded before Flop
Seat 6: jeremy1005 (big blind) folded before Flop
Seat 7: bigsoxfan05 showed [Kd Qc] and lost with a straight, Ten to Ace
Seat 8: partner4 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 9: killertofu81 folded before Flop (didn't bet)

I am not folding the river, there are only 7 hands that beat me. I am getting called by lessor hands like AK, AQ, AT, all the non boated Jacks, like JK, JQ, J8 etc. So I just shipped it in. Again, you can make a case that the river shove is spewey, but I am not folding this hand in a $10 donkament.

So I went from chip leader at my table to the rail in back to back hands. I had monster hands both times. This is kinda how I have been running lately. I am pretty happy with the way I have played though, and I have my head on straight (no tilt), so it's just a matter of time at this point. This is the path I have chosen, I have skilled myself in tournament poker, not cash games. Therefore, I must live with the variance monster of MTT's.

Congrats to birdbomber on FTP (Voff Voff Voff's brother) 15K weeks are fun =) I use to play with Mike at Seabrook all the time, he is an excellent player with very natural ability imo. Ever since he moved out to Vegas, he is tearing up FTP. Keep pwning bitches Mike!

I am also very happy to see one of the most influential people in my poker world, back to tearing up the virtual tables. Welcome back Rex55! Nice run last night in the MSOP ME. I was hoping you were going to keep me up all night. Rex is probably the best person I have met in the poker world, and deserves everything good that happens to her in this game. There is not one doubt in my mind, I would not be the player I am today without her. I can't ever thank her/ repay her enough for how she has helped my mindset, not just in poker, but life as well. I know you are on the way to bigger scores! Get em Rex!

With the Main Event starting this weekend in Vegas, I am very jealous that I am not out there splashing around. This gives me the motivation to become the player I need to be, and get my fat ass out there and play in it next year. 1 hand at a time.

Ok, off to Seabrook. Ship me the monies......

WSOP History cont...

2009-06-24T23:12:00.001-04:00

WSOP History

2009-06-23T19:41:00.000-04:00

Speed Kills

2009-06-21T17:43:00.001-04:00

Satisfaction

2009-06-18T02:29:00.000-04:00

Adjustments

2009-06-10T12:48:00.003-04:00

Online multi-table tournament poker has gotten much tougher in the past couple of years. With training sites, books, online forums, there are many ways for players to get better at the game. I have used some of these tools along the way to the player I am today. With that being said, at the micro levels that I play, there are still plenty of mistakes being made. There are still soft fields out there.

Over the past few weeks of play, I am finding myself forcing things, and allowing my aggression to get in the way of playing winning poker. I am not sitting on opponents mistakes. Instead, I am the one making them. I am pushing the action way to often.

No Limit has become so aggressive, that I have failed to make the proper adjustments. I need to go back to playing TAG, be patient and wait for my opponents to make the mistakes. Bubble play is just ridiculous now, anyone and everyone is trying to exploit the same game theory. The showdowns I am witnessing around the bubble are just foolish.

Going forward, I am going to be looking to exploit what I am calling "overplay". I am going to be closing down the hatch around the bubble and just let my opponents make the mistakes.

"Why do the pushing, when the donkey will do the pulling?" ~Lane Flack

check/raise

2009-06-03T20:25:00.005-04:00

I am not sure if it is simply because of the micro levels I play, but it certainly has become a trend in the games I am playing. It seems that it is all anyone does anymore. Check/raising is a very profitable play when used properly. However, when used improperly it can be a massive leak in one's game.

Over the past week, I've noticed it happening at a frequency that is much higher than normal, during post-flop play. I decided to investigate the play, which has mostly been used from opponents in the blinds or early position.
Example:
Say I raise my standard 2.5X with QJs from the button or cut-off seat in an unopened pot, and I get calls from the small blind and the big blind.

Flop: J83

It goes check, check to me. I make it a little more than half the pot. Instantly, I get min-raised by the SB. I can't tell you how many times that action has transpired vs me in the past 3 weeks, and how many times it's been 44-77, 99 ,TT . So I have decided to defend it with a flat call of the c/r, and see what happens on the turn. It seems that 75% of the time they wont lead out on the turn, when they do have an under pair. The first few times I was testing this theory out, I would check behind for pot control, as I just wanted to see his/her hole cards for cheap on the river. After seeing many showdowns like 44, 55, I decided that it is profitable to value bet the turn and river. As long as I don't get c/r again on the turn and or river, than it is a good idea to bet for value on the remaining streets. Opponents usually just check/call or check/fold at this point. Of course there are always the few times when I end up value betting myself with a weaker hand.

The thing that baffles me the most about the players doing this, they don't have a plan for the hand after they c/r the flop. Basically, they are just check-raising because they are aware that it's a poker move, or someone told them that people will fold to that type of play more often than not. Like, I don't mind a c/r from the SB or the BB, with hands like 44-88, with over cards on the board, just as long as you have a plan for the hand with regards to the next 2 streets. Otherwise, taking this line on a regular basis, is very spewey, imo.

Most of these guys playing at my level don't have plans, and don't know why they are c/r. So, I have decided to exploit this play. Until I start to see stronger hands from my opponents at showdowns, I am going to be betting for value with lighter hands in these situations.

100th post

2009-06-03T20:18:00.002-04:00

Wolfecity

2009-06-01T15:40:00.004-04:00

I despise moving. I understand that just about everyone does not enjoy moving, but for me, it is right up there with the New York Yankees. My piece of shit birth mother, and her alcohol and drug addiction's moved me around close to 15 times by the time I was 15 years old (which is when I chose to leave her, best decision of my life). That number doesn't even include the 2 fosters homes I was put in by the state from the age of 3-5. So yeah, I HATE moving.

For a year and a half I tried to find the job I wanted in Dover, and with the slow moving economy, unemployment at a monstrous high, I just couldn't find it. The commute from Dover to Garwoods has weighed on me. So this move is the correct one, right now.

Things I will miss in Dover; batting cages 2 minutes from my house, Panera, Chelsea and my peeps @ Chilli's. Being closer to Seabrook or any form of live poker for that matter. Movie theaters, multiple restaurant and libation choices. Oh yeah, and single cute female species. Most of the above is not offered in the Wolfe. =(

Things that are good about the move; I can walk to work, I can walk to the gym= no more spending obnoxious amounts of money on gas for the commute. Living with dicktrout22, which is good for the virtual hu$tle. Most of my friends are in the general area. I can work more as I am seconds from work. My room is 2.5 X the size of the room I have been squeezed into the past year and a half. My HDTV will be in my room, so no more needing to worry about missing sporting events for silly shows that are unnecessary.

*****************************************************************

I am having a hard time getting a decent bankroll going, so it appears that my daydream of going to Vegas to play in my first WSOP is nothing more than that. I am not out of time yet, but that door is closing quickly. So, unless I can find a window I can squeeze into, it looks as though my WSOP experience is going to have to wait another year, sigh =(.

I read about all those young pros getting backed for the whole series, and for me, I just wouldn't want to do anything like that (not that anyone is banging down my door to back me). I just feel as though, if you cant do it on your own, then you don't deserve to be there. Also, if I was to grind out an event and final table it, I am certainly not interested in shipping half the profit (or more) to someone who didn't put any effort forth. I completely understand why people do it, its just nothing I would ever consider.

I have been through a ton of shit in my life, and I am just about the sole reason I am where I am today, good or bad. The mistakes I have made, are my fault, no one else's. The profits and good will I have received are mostly earned by me. Don't get me wrong, there have been some very kind and loving people (VERY few) that have helped me along the way, but most of what I have is because of me. When I do get to the top of this game, it is going to be because of my hard work and determination.

Trust me when I tell you, I will get there. I am a very stubborn person (to a fault), and when I have my mind set on something, I will stop at nothing to get there. I will die trying.

Good luck to Voff Voff Voff (Daniel Deveau), he is short stacked in day 2 of the WSOP event #4 1K. If anyone can maneuver that SS into a cash, it certainly is him. Get em Dr. D!

PLO

2009-05-27T13:35:00.002-04:00

Pot Limit Omaha is one of my weakest games (Omaha H/L is my weakest game, imo). I want to get better at this game, as I feel PLO is going to eventually catch on like NLHE has. I feel that playing a lot of PLO strengthens my NLHE game anyway.

In the past 5 days, I have final tabled 3 smaller PLO multi's. One of them I went to the FT as a massive chip leader and couldn't close it out =(. I am happy that I FT 3 of them, but a 4th, 6th, and 6th, is not the reason I am playing these tournaments. I must close out these tournaments. Sometime this week, I am going to review my FT hand history's, and see if I am making some mistakes that need to be avoided.

One of the more profitable avenues I have discovered in PLO is that people get completely married to AA, at least at the smaller buy in level that I have been playing. Its so easy to tell when they have it, its the only time most of them will raise preflop. I almost always call these raises, knowing that if I smash that flop, they are going to stack off with that AA. Hands like AA92, really don't have much showdown value, imo. Those Aces sure do look good to them. Even if it is double suited, if they whiff on the suits, they are handcuffed with that type of hand. I have learned to limp with weak AA hands, and simply set or flush mine with them, throwing them away easily to any misses, in the face of action. You learn these lessons when you lose with a high frequency with these holdings. However, I will gladly raise with hands like AAKQ double suited, hands like that have, as my buddy Matt Sharp says, "pastabilities". Those are the only type of AA hands I want to play aggressively.

Ok, I am 4-tabling, time to focus and pwn!

Classless Bitch

2009-05-22T14:28:00.004-04:00

I am sure this is nothing new to all of you poker players, but I still cant get over it. She wasn't even in the hand. She should know better, she was a reporter for pokernews and has been around poker long enough to show a little more class. She is lucky I wasn't at the table. Playing for that type of money and you call the clock on a player, when you not even in the hand, stfu! This is the same girl that was running back and forth between tables to see if the only other girl in the tournament was losing her all in, leaving her as the final female. I would never treat her as an equal at the poker table, she hasnt earned it. Grow up......

Happy Birthday Dicktrout22

2009-05-21T13:08:00.003-04:00

Happy 45th errrrr, uuumm.........Happy Birthday playa.

Finally!

2009-05-19T13:08:00.002-04:00

Dear bigsoxfan05,

You finished the tournament in 1st place

I was in one of those droughts/ variance downswings that was lasting a lifetime (at least it felt that way). I was beginning to think I was never going to ship another online tournament. This was by far my biggest final table drought. I just couldn't do anything right. Put it in way ahead, lose. Put it in as a coin flip, lose. Try playing like the 80% of the donktards and put it in bad, lose.

I just feels great to close one out again. Be at a final table, deep stacked. Sitting on 1 million in chips, 4 betting light, because you reads are so spot on, and you know he/she is 3 betting you light.

Its a good thing I shipped this tourney, I was really starting to get to my wits end with online poker. I was becoming so frustrated. Even though it was a smaller 4 figure score, a win is a win. This is were I have to thank dicktrout22 again, he spent countless hours listening to me bitch about beats and good plays gone wrong, whining about how so sick of it I was (he knows my poker mind better than anyone). Thank you sir.

It all has to start somewhere. Like in November, I was increasingly playing better each and every session, and then I went on that sick run. I hope this can happen again. If i am lucky enough for it to happen again, even half of the profit, over the next month, I may book a trip out to Las Vegas in June for one of the prelim WSOP events. I have a free place to stay. I would like to really go out and play my first ever WSOP event. Even if it is one of the smaller 2K (almost turbo structure) events. I just want to experience it so bad. This is all just day dreaming for now, maybe I can make something happen. Stay tuned.

You tell em Ron!

2009-05-17T13:43:00.004-04:00

"Individuals have a right to spend their money the way they want." Ron Paul

"When we depend on our government to make these very delicate decisions on how to act, morally and economically, the government messes up" Ron Paul

gg, wp, ty sir!

2009-05-15T13:25:00.000-04:00

poker is fun for everyone

2009-05-15T12:51:00.005-04:00

All you have to do is put your money in bad and you win. ez game. Very fun game. I love losing with KK vs 44, AQ, TT, 55 for big pots in very crucial spots of tournaments, but obviously when I run AQ into KK, a K magically appears on the flop. Awesome game! So much fun. Cant wait to donate some more. If I wasn't so fat, I would just reach down and grab my ankles while I played online poker, you know, assume the position.

Marley- Boston 1979

2009-05-11T01:30:00.003-04:00