Well...what an interesting couple of months it has been for me, where do  i start...

Not sure if i mentioned before but as soon as i started playing full time also started the coaching/padawan program with Daryl Jace...3 mins with this guy and it dawned on me on how much I didnt know about poker, humbling, scary and exciting all at the same time.

The worst thing happened in my first week of full time grind..i got like 7th or something in the 221R1A for like 2K at a reg heavy final table so confidence was super high,so over the coarse of the following 6 weeks I basically just plowed/spewed my way through so many MTT's and before I knew it my 2K net was gone and then some. I assumeed that my already established auto pilot game was profitable at mid stakes when in reality, it wasnt. Took me till like April to figure that out, sigh.

I went to the WSOP APAC in Melbourne and played the opening accumalator. On my table day 1 table was Daniel "Shippityship" Nielson, Mike Leah (Ivey pro now?) and Tollgate. There was also an aussie TPE memeber in seat 1 but cant remember his name (Jason?)..my bad...Anyway, I was shitting myself and grinning all at the same time. With Nielson to my left I knew that I just had to have it so I just played solid TAG. I river hero called a local Aussie player (toothpick tony) with A4d on a Q high four card heart board in like level 3 for value so from then on in really wasnt picked on and my 3 bets were respected by the table which is good. One suck out and one flopped book with AA late in day 1 meant I made it into day 2 with 16K, 25BB's. Watching these powerhouse players all day was an awesome lesson in poker for me primarily around rangeing and bet sizing. Anyway even though i managed to build my stack my playing solid TAG on day 1 the spewy sicko in me came out on day 2 and eneded up reshoving my 12BB stack from SB with J9o into a Helmuth button raise and off course he had it...6 spots off the money too which is kinda upsetting. My first bracelet event, and i pissed it away on a reshove spot when in reality i dont know anything about reshoves except from watching Casey do it in vids. Sigh.

Spending 1.5-3 hours a week with Daryl has been great..my game has changed dramatically and we both feel now that i have a foundation for long term profit...I'm in that awesome conciously semi-competent stage of learning and all i want to do is build volume on it and cement my newly learned thought processes, approach and overallall strategy.

Dont have the bankroll to go to Vegas this year unfortunately, but playing Australia Poker League WSOP satty (Pro Open) this weekend to try and bink. This particular satty is held once a month, 500 runners, winner take all WSOP ME package. Out of the last 18 times this even has run I have final tabled it 4 times and got 2nd twice fml...its a fun tournament as its basically just 6 hours of bubble abuse which suits my super agg spew game.

Anyway, taking the day off to study MTT math so better get back to it..sorry for the late reply/update...will be more vigilant going forward.

Volume

No real money games since Maximus V

Study

Not much. I have been rereading my latest book.

Good

N/A

Bad

N/A

Live

Played some live free games at the local bar to teach my friend the basics. She made her first final table and out lasted me so I count that as a cool little win for the both of us. My report will be live from Vegas next week.

Volume

I only played 6 of the Poker Maximus V Main Events. I cashed out of Carbon right after Poker Maximus V ended so I plan to use that check for some sweet gifts as it will probably arrive a few days before Christmas.

Study

Marc and Sowers latest vids and an old Casey/Marc 109 vid series. I caught up on all my podcasts as well and I reread a chapter in the latest poker book I bought. I will probably review the $215 at some point.

Good

I got 57th out of 1140 in the $215 Main Event for like $800. I was playing well and hand a top 20 stack until I donked off with trips vs a flush. After that I was stuck around 25-30bbs for hours. I will say I rode that stack comfortably. I just wish I had a few more chips so I could have played some offense. I was surprised at how aggro some of the losing players were later in the money. 

Bad

Here was my *Note to self* from last week. [It's ok to let them bluff you occassionally as long as you keep picking up small pots. Just wait and call them when you can beat TPTK, not when you have it.]

No good. Got stubborn and called a river bet with AQ after ever street checked down on KQJx9 with a back door flush. Really? The guy raised pre and I flatted him. What could I POSSIBLY be beating on this board? Everything got there and I doubt anybody bluffs the river here with much. The lie I told myself is "I have to call because my hand is under repped." I was probably hoping for a chop.

I fell victim to a leak that I learned about recently where bad players (me) call the river with good starting hands just to show that they are playing tight preflop regardless of the board and having no chance to win the hand. I just wanted to show down a Top 5% hand. ****ing idiot man. This leak too shall die eventually.

Here is the big hand I lost in the $215.

Merge Network PM #47 $250K Gtd - [$215 Main Event] No Limit Hold'em Tournament - t750.00/t1500.00 Blinds + t150.00 - 9 players - View hand 2207379
TournamentPokerEdge.com Hand History Converter

Hero (UTG): BB = 74.9, t112334
UTG+1: BB = 39.1, t58587
UTG+2: BB = 61.6, t92475
MP1: BB = 12.4, t18615
MP2: BB = 40.2, t60289
CO: BB = 42.7, t63976
BTN: BB = 30.1, t45184
SB: BB = 13.4, t20131
BB: BB = 58.7, t88008

Pre Flop: (t3600) Hero is UTG with 7 5
Hero raises to t3000.00, 7 folds, BB calls t1500

Flop: (t8100) K 8 7 (2 players)
BB bets t4050.00, Hero calls t4050

Turn: (t16200) 7 (2 players)
BB bets t8100.00, Hero calls t8100

River: (t32400) 2 (2 players)
BB bets t16200.00, Hero raises to t32400.00, BB calls t16200

I played this hand so bad. I like pre and flop. On the turn, usually people donk out with draws. None of them hit, so I probably should have ripped it in when I caught trips. By being passive, I let him set his own price to draw to his hand. He had T9 diamonds so he probably calls and cripples me anyway, but I would have gotten it in good. Then on the river, I raise like an idiot trying to charge Kx because 1. im under repped (ugh, just die) 2. he is bad and bad players love top pair.

Monday Loxxii: Huh? Top pair? I thought you put him on a draw when he donked.

Sunday Loxxii: Ahh yes. That's true, Monday Loxxii. But my game is so robust that I can put the villain on which ever hand I am beating at the time. See im ahead of diamonds on the flop, so he must have diamonds. Im crushing a K on the turn, so obviously he has a K now...obv. On the river, I doubt I even saw the suit of the "BLANK" deuce that "BRICKED" because what does that give him now? K2? Im still ahead and I am going to go for thin value because the good guys say good guys get extra chips where others dont and that's why they are good.

Monday Loxxii: ...bitch, kill yourself!

Had I just called the river, I would have had 45ish bigs and could have possibly kept doing work. Instead, I was handcuffed at 30 bigs now. This hand happened with like 300 players left (207 paid). I drifted between 20-30bbs as I folded my way to 57th place somehow. I shoved for a double up when I got down to like 17bbs, but lost a flip.

Live

None. Vegas in 2 weeks.

Volume

Decided to slap a few bucks back on Carbon for Poker Maximus V and played 22 MTTs in one day over 13 hours. Probably not good.

Study

Continuing to go through videos. I listened to the TPE and Thinking Poker podcasts and was mentioned in both in the same week. Cool! I will actually review some HHs today. Haven't done that in a while.

Good

I have been able to get a couple big stacks early. Saturday I won 1st of 292 in the $2.5K Gtd - [6-Max, Deep, Turbo] (Merge) for like $700.

Bad

I burned like $500 of that in Poker Maximus on Sunday. Im calling off the big stack too light I think because I tell myself that the guys are starting to play back because they are tired of my aggression. I called shoves with TPTK in two spots that I probably shouldn't have. Nothing worse than snap calling with 10% equity. Finger tilt as Tommy Angelo would call it. I need to give myself a little more time to think on these decisions.

*Note to self.* It's ok to let them bluff you occassionally as long as you keep picking up small pots. Just wait and call them when you can beat TPTK, not when you have it.

Bad

I actually fell asleep as the short stack on the bubble last night and ended up getting 28th when 27 pay. Ha. I looked by over my hands and saw that I folded plenty of shove spots including AKs. Wow.

 

Haha dont you hate when you start nodding off, waking up to the computer beeping at you as your about to fold your aces

 

GL with the liveaments

Volume

No volume this month for good reason. The next couple of months may be more of the same as I will be in Vegas for the WSOP starting towards the end of May. I will attempt to provide some live stats.

Study

I havent done much studying lately. I did recently watch the vids by Casey and Andrew. I am working on Rivermen's series now. I am also about to catch up on acoimbra's blog. I think im going to take the last couple of days of April off to study and get ready for the first week of May.

Good

I feel like I am playing well. I scaled back some of the aggression from last month. I think maybe this negatively affected my results some, but I feel less spewy.

Bad

I actually fell asleep as the short stack on the bubble last night and ended up getting 28th when 27 pay. Ha. I looked by over my hands and saw that I folded plenty of shove spots including AKs. Wow.

Live

None this week. 

Nobody played on the cruise so I didnt get any games in.

Also, I recently moved to a place that has free internet, but it is slow and I cannot get a wired service. I am in the process of researching Clear Internet from Sprint. In the meantime, I will experiment with some games starting tomorrow since my SNG test is going well. Apparently, this internet connection is only so when trying to view poker videos or Youtube, but it is fine for running a couple HUDs and one SNG table on a poker client. Tomorrow, I will see how it goes with 4 MTT tables.

The one good thing about Clear is that I think I can take it with me to Vegas this summer and use it in the hotels.

Just posting an update from the last couple of days, played another 20 tournaments and booked 2 45 man wins and 2 cashes, and a deep run in the hot $4.40 for a small boost to the bankroll. I posted a hand from the hot 4.40 in the MTT strategy sub forum:

http://www.tournamentpokeredge.com/forum/mtt-poker-strategy/deep-in-the-hot-4-40-is-this-shove-too-loose/

And a funny little hand in BBV:

http://www.tournamentpokeredge.com/forum/brags-beats-and-variance/the-good-ol-suck-resuck-reresuck/#p46030

Overall my bankroll has been boosted another $18.23 to put my total winnings YTD at $260.36 

I'm most likely going to start making this a weekly entry coming up 

*No online poker for the next 2 weeks because I will be at WSOPC Cherokee playing live.*

Ok. Now that it's over, im glad to be back home for a few days. No poker this week because I will be heading out for a cruise to the Bahamas in 2 days. I will play some more live games on the ship though.

Not much different to report. I decided to play the ring event 11 expecting it to be softer since it started after the main. I did well until I bumped heads with another big stack.

He raised UTG and I called on the BTN with JJ. We both had like 50bb and he was fairly tight.

Flop was T66 rainbow. He cbet. I raised. He called.

Turn Q. He checked. I checked.

River 8. He bets close to pot. I call. He shows 88.

Overall, I had a good time at the WSOPC. I may go to the one in New Orleans one weekend and next I will be gearing up to go to Vegas for the entire summer.

hand 2   sizing seems fine for being oop, tbh maybe its a lil too nitty but if i have a feeling he will not fold to the 3b often i have no problem folding here with a 30bb stack

hand 3  shove against random, but against competent regs i would mix it up with checking

hand 2: seems good, sizing could be slightly smaller but im fine with it

hand 3: id raise and cbet and probably check back A high flops.

Villain was 55/27 over 46 hands. I hadn't noticed any showdowns at this point in game, but on the replayer i noticed some wierd plays (open limped 23s on the button and checked down a flush draw against the blinds, flatting 76o from bb and c/mr 3rd pair oop etc)

I think flop is pretty standard. Is checking turn for deception/let villain catch up better than betting, since his donk flop/check turn line looks like someone just taking a stab and giving up, so i dont want him to fold his air. On the other hand he does look like a fish and may still call with overcards/draws/underpairs so betting does have strong points.

Should my river raise be bigger? His range looks weak imo so i dont thnk he will call much.

Thoughts?

Poker Stars $4.10+$0.40 No Limit Hold'em Tournament - t75/t150 Blinds - 8 players - View hand 2174862
TournamentPokerEdge.com Hand History Converter

BB: t7102 47.35 BBs
UTG: t1510 10.07 BBs
UTG+1: t3423 22.82 BBs
MP1: t4431 29.54 BBs
MP2: t2352 15.68 BBs
CO: t5542 36.95 BBs
Hero (BTN): t4170 27.80 BBs
SB: t9665 64.43 BBs

Pre Flop: (t225) Hero is BTN with 8 8
5 folds, Hero raises to t300, SB calls t225, 1 fold

Flop: (t750) 2 9 9 (2 players)
SB bets t450, Hero calls t450

Turn: (t1650) 8 (2 players)
SB checks, Hero checks

River: (t1650) 6 (2 players)
SB bets t450, Hero raises to t999

This villain was running 11/10 over 86 hands with an ATS of 31. He seemed competant enough and positionally aware. My image had been TAG, not getting out of line really. Is this a profitble 3bet with ATC? and if so, is my sizing ok?

Poker Stars $4.10+$0.40 No Limit Hold'em Tournament - t200/t400 Blinds + t50 - 7 players - View hand 2175219
TournamentPokerEdge.com Hand History Converter

UTG+1: BB = 36.4, t14549
MP: BB = 25.4, t10162
CO: BB = 19.3, t7720
BTN: BB = 26.7, t10673
SB: BB = 7.0, t2790
Hero (BB): BB = 32.5, t13016
UTG: BB = 1.7, t691

Pre Flop: (t950) Hero is BB with XX
4 folds, BTN raises to t800, 1 fold, Hero raises to t2000

Villain was running 8/3 over 38 hands. Given his 18bb stack, what is your play here? Shove? Check and see flop? Standard raise?

Poker Stars $4.10+$0.40 No Limit Hold'em Tournament - t400/t800 Blinds + t75 - 7 players - View hand 2175223
TournamentPokerEdge.com Hand History Converter

SB: BB = 17.8, t14234
Hero (BB): BB = 25.7, t20591
UTG: BB = 14.7, t11798
UTG+1: BB = 11.6, t9278
MP: BB = 73.2, t58540
CO: BB = 39.6, t31668
BTN: BB = 39.9, t31899

Pre Flop: (t1725) Hero is BB with A 6
5 folds, SB calls t400, Hero ?????

These are just a couple of stand out hands. The final table consisted of me tripling up with AQ then winning a massive flip with QQ against Ak to take a monster chip lead 5 handed and apply heaps of pressure on eveyone since they were playing to move up in spots after that. So it was basically a lot of raise/take it downs towards the victory! If anyone would like to take a look over the whole tournament i would greatly appreciate your feedback or anything else you have to offer. Send me a PM here or email or Skype me and i'lll send you either a Universal Replayer version or the raw HH so you can put it in your PT or HEM. 

I'm more than happy to make it a HH swap and review of tournament of yours too 

Thanks guys