The Journey Continues - July Summary

Play within your BR. Don't tilt.

I know these golden rules and i've broken both of them many times. This is no exception. It's been a week since i've played any cash games as I have been doing away on the SNGs. I have built my BR to $100 evens mainly playing $2 and $5 SNGs. I have been careful with my decisions and running hot (as described by sharkscope).

Here's my stats!
Username Games Played Av. Profit Av. Stake Av. ROI Total Profit Form
Hero 230 $1 $15 14% $178 Hot

I know i've played a lot of games in the past so these stats are not really representative of my current journey from the get go. I just thought that it would be interesting to post it.

Anyway, i've had enough of SNGs and have decided to jump straight into 6-max 10NL. With my 10xBuy-in BR, I think I can handle the swings to the point where I actually do have sufficient buy-ins for this level (god help me). I plan to play at this level until my BR is $400, at which point I will hit the next level.

Of course, during my course of decision, i did what almost all bad poker players do - I stepped up the limits to take a shot at the big boys.

Session #1 (50NL 6max - 07/07/2007)

I don't care! i've reached my $100 target - woohoo, get outta my way b*tch cause i'm coming through. *DONK*. When the date is the seventh of the seventh month, 2007 - you can expect weird things to happen. So I decide to 2-table 6-max 50NL and see what's doing. Huge swings in this 1.5 hr session but thankfully I end up $13 up for my efforts.

Hand #1 - They say pocket 2s and pocket 3s are deadly - oh yes sir, they are indeed (+$42 pot)

http://www.pokerhand.org/?1301209

Hand #2 - Gotta love hitting those sets. The ladies do well (+$46 pot)

http://www.pokerhand.org/?1301211

Hand #3 - Kicker issues with A9o. I don't usually stack off with TP-No kicker (-$30 pot)

http://www.pokerhand.org/?1301214

Hand #4 - I recall this hand. I was so disgusted with my play that I immediately posted my thoughts on 2+2. Flush draw, spewing chips (-$18 pot)

http://www.pokerhand.org/?1301225


Session #2 (50NL 6max - 09/07/2007)
Now in no way do I advocate playing so high above your BR, and I do realise that had I played within my limits it would have taken me far longer to reach this point. I decide to take another stab at 50NL for 25 minutes and end up $13 from this session. My BR is now around $130.

Hand #1 - TPTK seems to do well in this situation, AK is not my favourite hand to stack off with (+$26 pot)

http://www.pokerhand.org/?1301238


Session #3 (10NL 6max - 10/07/2007)
Now, I have come back to reality and my senses have returned. I decide to 2-table 10NL for 1 hour and end up down -$5 for this session.

Hand #1 - I actually think he played his Aces against my QQ quite well. I couldn't put him on the K or the straight; and in fact, he had neither (-$17 pot)

http://www.pokerhand.org/?1301253


Session #4 (10NL 6max - 15/07/2007)
5 day break and then I return to play 1 table of 10NL for 1 hour and end up netting $6 for this session.

Hand #1 - I'm lucky I hit my K, but he's just as lucky hitting his Ace (+$13 pot)

http://www.pokerhand.org/?1301267


Session #5 (25NL 6max - 17/07/2007)
This is stupid of me and I know. I have jumped up limits again. Fortunately, I have an amazing session and I am up $30 from it. My BR is now $160 and I am feeling damn confident about my game. I think at this stage I have said to myself that I have enough buy-ins to ride all the swings on the 10NL tables and I will stick to that. Here's some highlights:

Hand #1 - My reads are getting strong for players and when they tell a story and it doesn't make sense, I will call you down to confirm my suspicions. I am at the point where I just go with my reads and don't care if I make the wrong decisions and pay to find out. You need to know your mistakes before you can improve on them. Ace high call is good here (+$13 pot).

http://www.pokerhand.org/?1301283


Hand #2 - AK is good here and I am being super aggressive. I guess I could have stacked off this hand very easily. My biggest pot yet (+$47 pot).

http://www.pokerhand.org/?1301300


Session #6 (10NL 6max - 19/07/2007)
A short 20 minute session adding a nifty $6 to my BR, taking me to $166. I got really lucky in the only pot I won this session. Caught out facing two-pair with my OESD.

Hand #1 - OESD, cry me a river! (+$16)

http://www.pokerhand.org/?1301313


Session #7 (10NL 6max - 22/07/2007)
Another short stint for a 25 minute session, adding another $10 to my BR. This takes me to $176.

Hand #1 - The funny thing about this hand is that I remember putting him on a hand similar to what he was holding. When the Q showed on the river I knew that I had him beat and I knew he was going to call it if I pushed. Nice hand (+$21).

http://www.pokerhand.org/?1301325


Session #8 (10NL 6max - 24/07/2007)
1.5 hour stint here netting me another $10 to add to my BR. This has pushed me to about $186 which I am ecstatic about. I never thought I could get this far. Here's the biggest hand for this session:

Hand #1 - Two pair on the turn. I remember knowing that this guy is pretty tight but I had just taken a pot off him the hand prior. I had no idea he was holding a monster, but when the turn came, it was all over. I put him on A-high (+$18 pot).

http://www.pokerhand.org/?1301336


Session #9 (10NL 6max - 25/07/2007)
Last night I 4-tabled 10NL for about 1 hour in total. I ended up putting $18 towards my BR. For some reason, the sums don't add up and I know I f**ked um my BR calculations somewhere along this posting. It doesn't matter though because officially my BR is now $196 and that is accurate. I am $4 off my first milestone of $200 and I feel really confident at the moment. Here's some highlights:

Hand #1 - Although I am now not a fan of coin-flipping with the short stacks when they get hyper aggressive, I pick my spots and when I *think* they are pushing every hand, I will flip and knock them the f*ck out. As with this case, this guy had raised all in for 3 consecutive hands. I decided to call to see what's doing - please engrave "luckbox" on my keyring (+$8 pot).

http://www.pokerhand.org/?1301368

Hand #2 - Unlucky for 'Johnny_Aces1' who had been playing very conservatively ever since I sat at the table. Opens UTG+1 for a min raise to $0.20. I pop it to $0.80 and he flat calls. He flops a monster but i've picked up second pair and a flush draw. They don't call them action flops for nothing (+$8)

http://www.pokerhand.org/?1301384

Hand #3 - This has got to be my biggest loss of recent times, no biggie - the short stacks give me headaches because I have no implied odds to play them post flop. It's really either all-in or fold frame of mind playing these guys. I had a strong feeling I was way behind too, I am victim to my A-rag kicker issues again (-$8)

http://www.pokerhand.org/?1301401

Hand #4 - HIGHLIGHT hand! *bing bing* This must be most passive play I have seen with bullets in a 6max game. I never put this guy on this monster but, he never put me on my monster either - this is a must see even if the pot is sh!t (+$2)

http://www.pokerhand.org/?1301411


Ok, that's about my whole backlog cleared now. You now know how I've reached my current level and what my current BR is. Slowly but surely I will climb to my target. However, good streaks will be followed by bad streaks. It's not if, it is when. I will keep going until I have everything or nothing - there is no in-between and there is no cashing out.

Let's see if I can push past the $200 barrier v.soon.