Runs this week:

6/980 $2 cubed

29/1201 Big $27.50

Tonight:

7/650 8.80 Zoom

5/1219 Hot 22 for $1206

3/224 Omania 22 for $506

The run in the Hot 22 was fun.  With 40 people left I got crippled when 95o shoved into my Ax, I then somehow got it back to 10bb, got crippled again with 30 left when T6s shoved into my Ax.  Ran it back up, including folding Q9s where the math might say to call, but something was odd about a limp utg, and then a shove.  The limper ended up having AA and I survived with some crazy 5bb stack and ran it up to a high of 25bb and the CL with 10 left.  At the FT I was unable to find many spots, AQ < A3, and 88 < AJs.

From the practice of the 18/45/180 I'm finding good spots to raise fold, that I would normally just open pile, steals are getting through even when stacks are shallow and I'm giving myself more of a chance to find a hand where as before if I had 20bb I was always reshoving and with 15bb was always open piling.  I'm figuring out how to get value from a short stack more, and cooling down the steals some.

Been putting in the time playing PLO and PLO8 too, want to take a shot at some smaller events in Vegas and try to sat into the PLO bracelet event before the monster stack.  Finding myself getting deep in the Omania's nightly, but need to figure out how to better build a stack late.  Today I did win a 5 way all in with AA66 against AA47, that was nice 🙂

The close calls continue to be there:

17/3803 in the big $2.20

9/535 in the $3 cubed, lost a standard flip for 50bb first hand of the FT

17/366 in $11 Omania

On Sunday I put in a short session of SNGs and MTT-SNGs and found myself at 2 $15-180s fts at the same time and proceeded to bust them both in 8th, both standard spots, slightly frustrating, but it's the way it goes.

Didn't play much of SCOOP, had a lot going on this week, but going to put in some volume the next several weeks with the plan to push through with a large field win, it's within grasp just have to keep at it.  MTOPS is starting up soon, which should be a good way to get in some volume too with all of the multi entry events.

WSOP plans are shaping up nicely, it will be odd to play live poker again after a year away.  Going to warm up by playing in several home games (30-50 person tournaments), possibly an event or two at the Bike if they have something going on and then some lower buys in Vegas before the Mega Stack bracelet event.

I am in the same situation as you with regards to tilt.  I have been working with a coach a bit, but mental game is for sure my weak point and I really need to work more on it.  I've improved a lot but it's a constant battle!  I'm one of the guys who just read MGOP and didn't really do the exercises and apply the information.  Time to revisit that

Also added back in 18/45/180 mans to help reduce some variance.  It's feeling good to win some of these even though the prize is small, getting some confidence back and honing push/fold/call ranges quite a bit since that's all those come down too.  Also been working on having raise/fold, raise/call and 3b/fold ranges at various stacks sizes where before I would be pretty much open jam <15bb and rejam 20bb which doesn't work all that well these days.

Sweats:

18/1801 in the 1R 3x, this tournament is so silly, but good value.  1K+ up top for a couple of bucks.

This hand was fun though:

.....qysUcLqZiX

36/721 in $11 turbo, sailed through most of the tournament.  Lost half my stack bvb when I shoved into a 10bb stack with Q8o and he called with K5s. Passed up shoving 56o bvb even though it's probably the right shove and then a few hands later shoved 68s into Kx.

10/212 in the $22 Omania, looks like this overlaid too

Taking tomorrow off with the family, but will be back at it next week.

The last 6 months have been a difficult ride, but I think I've turned the corner on the mental side and that's freeing up room to play better and continue to improve.  Despite many friends encouraging me to play on other sites or in smaller fields (aka lower variance) I've been charging ahead with playing the low-mid stakes big fields on stars.  I'm stubborn, too a fault some times and I feel like a win, even in these high variance games is within reach.  In fact I know it's within reach because the deep runs keep coming, just need to not make mistakes late and run on the right side of variance late.  I will be back to playing on US sites in about a month when we return to the US.  I'm actually a bit excited to play in some smaller fields with less regs.

The biggest improvement I've made has come from reading The Mental Game of Poker 1 and listening to 2 on audiobook.  I'm working both books, doing the exercises before/during/after all my sessions and the clarity is eye opening.  Being able to notice before it happens that I'm about to start getting heated about some bad luck just allows me to get back to play good.  You really need to work at it though, just reading won't do it.  Putting it into action is the key.  I've made tactical and mental goals my priority in each session and it's working.  My game is improving in the areas I've focused on and I'm feeling confident despite the lack of wins. 

When I last posted I talked about working with a poker coach.  I actually put that on the back burner because I determined tilt was the bigger issue.  When I tilt I turn into a really weak player, playing too tight, not inducing, etc and that was having a negative effect on the results.  It only took review of one HH with a close friend and all of the spots he pointed out, some that I normally take and new ones that I should consider, to realize the problem wasn't really in my game it was in how I was tilting and not playing at the level I was used too.

In the last week I've made several deep runs:

35/1190 in $8 turbo

22/560 in $3 cubed

3/362 $11 Omania

4/158 $7 NL08

Also won some shots into the 109, 162 and 55.  Haven't had any results satt'ing into the Sunday Million which has been dissappointing, but have to practice some bankroll management before the WSOP where it will be easy to fire off the 10 days I'm there.

I've spent a lot of time watching vids and reading hands, but in prep for the WSOP I'm going to spend more time working specifically on my game instead of looking for new things to learn.  The tools are there I just need to execute and clear my head of too many competing priorities.

Enjoyed Ben Warrington's pre-flop video.  Also look forward to future Ben Reason videos.

Just going to keep improving,  working on the mental game and putting in the time.  Thanks for listening.

Had built a stack in the Hot 22 with about 300 remaining.  24K at the 400.  Btn shoves for 6bb, bb is sitting out.  I call with A9s, btn wins with AT.  Very next hand, mp limps, co shoves (AT dude) for 15bb, I reraise AKs.  AKs < AJo.  An orbit later, btn open shoves for 25bb eff, the sb calls off (he's the AT/AJ dude), I have 99 in the bb and call off.  40K pot at the 500, A3 > 99 > K8s to bust.  One of these days I'll hold in a key spot like this for inifinite chips.  Until then, back to studying.

Single tabling the $11 PLO nightly, 76 left, 10K at the 400. 

Ended up busting in 8th, bvb flopped TP and nut flush draw vs top and bottom.  Turn gave us both the same two pair and villian hit the 2 outer to fill up.  Had a chance to right the ship with a win, but came up short.

.....hey-avoid/

After reading it realized I'm failing in the mental toughness category not only in poker, but in my work life too.  Time to start working on this aspect.

Made a run in a couple tournaments tonight, busted 35/1100 in the Hot 22.  44 < KK aipf to bust.  FT and a win coming soon.

Took some pretty gross beats that really pissed me off on Saturday and Sunday (was definitely tilting), so I re-centered myself and played calm last night and took the beats well.  Made a couple of runs, but no FT's.  Busted in 56/1450 in the Big 27.50.  Had a good stack with about 100 left, then induced with A9o on the button (sb had me covered and bb was at 12bb), bb reshoved with KT and won the flip. Passed on a meh spot with QTo for a 15bb rejam against a new player to the table and then blinded down to the point where I had no FE and busted 87s to AKs.

I've also made contact with a coach and we are going to do HH reviews over the holidays and then when I move to Costa Rica next month we'll get some skype sessions going.  Pretty excited about the coach, he's been a poker friend for a couple of years and has great results, both live and online.  He's always been pretty reserved when talking poker strategy openly, but thinks on a high level.  Another friend received coaching from him and had nothing but good things to say, so we'll see how that goes, it can't hurt that's for sure.

Take it easy.

Have some time off the next week with a visitor in town, then back at it for a week, then several Sundays off with more friends and familing coming to town.  During that time I'm going to try and put in several nights a week to make up for missing Sunday.

Really enjoed Jamie and Cory's latest videos.  Also the Ultimatebeat movie is pretty solid, I recommending buying it.

Packing for 5 days on the carribean side of the country.  Not taking the laptop, but loading up the Ipad with some video content for the plane ride and while resting in a hammock. 

Videos for the trip:

Broko WCOOP Warmup

Arvis Bigger 33

Bigdog SM1

Moon Sunday Saver

Jamie MM Review

MJ Maximus Main

Rivermen Intertops 75K

Ultimatebeat too much to lose

I'll be ready to grind come Sunday 🙂

Made a couple of runs, but nothing really deep.  Busted the MM main in 6500 (65k runners) or so,  called off A6o against a maniac shoving and lost to JTo.  Ran it in pokerstove afterwards and found that I wasn't as far ahead as I thought I might be and it probably should have been a fold, a little bummed to make that mistake which I should have ran the numbers in game instead of just calling off because I felt like I was ahead.

Showed a small profit on the day.

Going to review HHs now and take some videos for the week away on holiday and come in ready for next Sunday night.

Most disappointing result was approaching the money of the Big $11 or $27 with 40bb and losing KK < 55 for an 83bb pot with 10 to go. It wasn't a disappointment because of not cashing, it was just that I had grinded a short stack for most of that tournament and it's so much fun to have a stack that late, especially approaching the bubble.  I think the more and more that I get used to building stacks it won't be such a let down when I lose one.

Played one night this week, bricked 10 or so tournaments.  Don't think I played particularly well and didn't run great.

About to put the kids to bed and then fire up a small session, been wanting to play all week 🙂