Brutal night...

I've been taking small stabs at 50NL but variance is rearing it's ugly, ugly head. I've had AA go down in flames 4 times, KK 3 times, QQ 4 times, AK 3 times... it's getting pretty ugly. Tonight I lost 200 BB in 2 back to back hands to the same guy when he cracked my AA with the mighty K4hh (h on the river of course) then he destroys my flopped full house (I had 55, flop Q5Q) with QJo - rivered J. He typed "ul" in the chat. I told him to go die in a grease fire.

Even with the millions of suckouts, I was able to pretty much break even... I only ended down about 1 BI, with an EV difference of $310. I guess it could have been much worse. I definitely tilted off at least 2 BI by tilt jamming fishies with bigger hands. I have to learn to control that...

Live blogging the Mookie

Haven't played the mookie in a while, figured I'd give it a go tonight, though I haven't been enjoying tourneys the way I used to. The weird suckouts in the late stages have been getting to me. Tonight though, I have a great feeling I'm going to go really deep...

10:00, first hand AA, gg.

TEAM WAFFLES CREST

Go Team Waffles! Strike fear into your opponents hearts!

Bad beats, Blaargh Style.

Last night I dropped almost 6BI at 25NL playing tired and stupid. Most of it was coolers/suckouts, but magnified by bad decisions and underestimating fishies holdings. Had to happen sooner or later, I was getting complacent. Stomach was hurting a bit, so didn't eat any dinner. Shouldn't have been anywhere near teh pokerz.

Woke up this morning puking my guts out with a stomach virus. Couldn't make it to the airport. So instead of sitting on a beach in Mexico right now celebrating my wife's birthday, I'm lying in bed trying to hold down yoghurt.

I'm not loving life atm.

Bound for Mexico

Have fun at the Blogger convention, I'm goin' down south for a few days for my wife's birthday. Hope there's a lot of degeneracy to read about when I get back!

A little photoshop help

Here ya go waffles, you looked like you could use a little photoshop help...

Weekend Update

Monster sore throat/earache kept me indoors all weekend, but all the tough poker players know you have to ignore the pain and play through it. I on the other hand took off work and cuddled with my wubby wabbity. After a lovely scented bubbly bath, I logged on at about 11 Friday night, dug myself into a hole at what I felt were soft tables, worked patiently at getting back to even and folded A LOT, and finally hit a couple hands in a row to put me above ground. It only took until 4am and @700 hands to do that. Waffles is right... I am the King of Morons... (does that mean I get more than 1 wife?)

Between Saturday and Sunday I played a few smaller sessions, and managed to build up pretty steadily. My only major suckout was QQ vs KK (Q on the river, biatch!). I was on the verge of folding, since the guy had never even 3bet me, let alone try to get in in... I knew this was AA or KK and should have dumped, but I didn't. Against a more aggressive player it's an instacall, against a tightie weakie, intsafold. Exactly 2 hands later I get AA vs AK. Pokerz are ez.

Since Thanksgiving I've chalked up an lol 35bb/100 winrate. I know I can't do that forever, but damn, it's nice wile it's lasting. My overall EV is about even, so I guess this run is due to good table selection and plenty of fish at 25NL more than anything else. I've been good about getting out if the fish leave or if I feel I'm at any kind of disadvantage (past the ones I was born with... luckily my opponents can's see my hideous disfigurements online).

I'm pretty much rolled for 50NL (that didn't take long!), but I'm going to test it out slowly. The TAG to fish ratio is much worse at 50NL from what I've seen so far. I played 1 table for about 50 hands this weekend, and it seemed it was 5 Tags vs 1 fishie. I left when he was eaten - not by me unfortunately, but still managed to be up by $5. So for now, I'll continue to take little stabs until I feel comfortable, and try not to freak out and spew like I did with my transition to 25NL. Yeesh.

We love you waffles!

Cheer up Waffles, you'll always be a winner!

Gratuitous Hammer shot...

Now that's how you defend the SB, waffles! I had enough history on the dude to know that he loves to fold to 3 bets, so I'm just helping him along....

Full Tilt Poker $0.10/$0.25 No Limit Hold'em - 5 players - View hand 402077

The Official DeucesCracked.com Hand History Converter



CO: $26.74

BTN: $21.24

SB: $24.86

Hero (BB): $29.00

UTG: $17.56



Pre Flop: ($0.35) Hero is BB with 2 7

3 folds, SB raises to $0.75, Hero raises to $2.75, 1 fold



Final Pot: $1.50

Hero wins $1.50

Decent month/night

Finally got the hand importer to work (user error, of course)... it only downloads 10k hands and I had been requesting all of November. I didn't realize I had played more than 10k hands last month.

So the month ended up pretty well. Like I've mentioned before, I ran above EV at 10NL, switched to 25NL somewhere around hand 6k and spazzed out, got my shit back together and I'm playing better again.

Last night I played a couple of quick sessions for about 334 hands and did ok. I ran at 77bb/100, which of course is totally sustainable. I'm putting in an order for a new yacht and a gold-plated laptop right now.

So... hand of the day. This is hand 245 above, where it looks like I'm the biggest lucksack on the planet. I'm assuming the way I played it is pretty standard, but I'd like some reassurance here.... (sorry that my hands are fairly conventional, I'm trying to tweak the standard parts of my game before I delve into the tougher situations)

Full Tilt Poker $0.10/$0.25 No Limit Hold'em - 6 players - View hand 399964

The Official DeucesCracked.com Hand History Converter



CO: $25.00

Hero (BTN): $53.87

SB: $25.00

BB: $26.05

UTG: $31.32

MP: $25.35



Pre Flop: ($0.35) Hero is BTN with K J

3 folds, Hero raises to $0.75, SB raises to $2.50, 1 fold, Hero calls $1.75

I make a standard raise from the button with a medium strength hand. I get re-raised and just call. If I hit any piece of this flop, or if it's a dry board I'll put him to the test and see whether he's just restealing, or he does have a real hand. Since he's raising from the SB, I give him credit for mid pair +, probably AJ+. I expect a flat with low pair, weak broadway or Ax suited.

Flop: ($5.25) 8 2 8 (2 players)

SB checks, Hero bets $3.50, SB raises to $14, Hero raises to $51.37 all in, SB calls $8.50 all in

I hit 2nd nut flush draw, time to see how far he wants to go. I don't expect any 2's or 8's in his range, and my original assessment stands. I see his huge re-raise as protection for an overpair, I think 99 or TT (maybe JJ) make the most sense. He leaves himself no room to fold, so I put him in hoping that my 2 overs are still good, as well as the 2nd nut flush.


Turn: ($50.25) 9 (2 players - 2 are all in)

I run goot sometimes.

River: ($50.25) 5 (2 players - 2 are all in)



Final Pot: $50.25

Hero shows K J (a flush, King high)

SB shows T T (two pair, Tens and Eights)

Hero wins $47.74

(Rake: $2.51)


So my thinking is I want my $$ in before the flush card hits. I'd be happier without a paired board and maybe a OESD to go with the FD, but I'm pretty sure I'm good here most of the time. Better way to play this? Fold PF? Fold flop? Not enough of an edge to continue? Standard? What's your thinking...