Time for a Holiday

I feel the need to update my blog as since gatsby has assisted in putting a hit counter on my site I've had quite a few hits!

My terrible play and booze induced calls are obviously generating some kind of intrest.

Anyway Vegas was great bring on the Carribean Poker Classic lets get some poker in. However, in the meanwhile It's time to spend some time with my family & Jamaica is the destination. In the morning we fly from Manchester (all 6 of us) erghhhh to Beaches Negril for what i'm hoping will be the dogs ballearics of a break for us all.

Here I go again with this blog. The above was it... period... apart from wishing everyone good luck at the tables and yet again I start typing and allsorts of thoughts start popping into my head that need to go down on my virtual paper.

Just lately I have been taking some advice from kinghawko about my terrible run and play in the six-pacs of late and all the beats/tilting etc. that goes with such a bad run. I told him one night that I felt like I had forgot how to win six-pacs and after a few pointers and a little tweaking (all credit where due) I have actually started winning again. I had previously made the decision that I was going to go back playing cash as I never had any problems there (cough Cough) LMAO.

Poker=Problems that's why we all love/hate it so much.

Anyway due to sharkscope's incorrect statistics that keep telling me how shite I am every time I log on, I have decided to stick around until I have turned things around for my own peice of mind. There's my obbsessive nature at it again, I mean I could have left a long time ago and probably be back having success on the cash tables but i cant help myself - I'm a results oriented person and my results are carp.... Any way if you want to check my poor results on sharkscope just log-in and type ........................ ---------------------->>>> leemur1 ;)

You know what? I actually do know how to win 6-pacs it was there all along all it needed was someone else to point it out! it's so wierd how your head gets in this game it's unreal!

A few things I have noticed about my own style of play and my character.

1] The more I learn the more I realise I don't know about the game.

2] As I apply what I have learned it takes me ages to integrate it into my game/personality & my results suffer till its IN.

3] I didn't think I tilted 'Live' but I do especially when I'm ave stacked or under for some reason - the pressure starts inside and the NEED TO RACE syndrome starts.

4] I dont beleive people in online poker enough where I do have a spidey sense 'Live'.

5] I have an all or nothing personality that needs managing with total discipline. I am the one that can't go out for a meal and have 1 glass of wine with a meal. If I can remember what's happened the night before I havent been drinking.

6] I can pick tells up from people by using information they send out subconsciously, I thought I was the one that couldn't. (when you do start noticing things you wont stop) it's called memory by association.

Anyway ramble ramble ramble - had enough now.

Many thanks to kinghawko for his efforts in nurturing the monster within, oh and as I was going to say earlier.

All the very best at the tables...

Additional food for thought!

I enjoyed the break and learned a lot. One major thing I learned was that mental preparation is vital for big live events and an awareness of people’s actions and responses should be maintained at all times. If you’re an ipod user stick your headphones on and even pretend to sing along whilst it's switched off for a couple of hours while you suss the job in hand out. Set your stall out when you first sit at a table to get a measure of each and every player and allow for change as they become stronger/weaker. Notice how they respond to you being in a pot. Do they think they can outplay you? Do you think you can outplay them?

If everyone’s chucking their cards away every time you enter a pot your not entering enough pots. All basic stuff I here you say but here is the biggest lesson I learned the (BASICS).

Focus on them and don’t get too carried away with the complexities of the game. E.g. awareness of previous action when entering a pot, maybe the button had pushed all-in on your BB and you look down to see AJ and call instantly!! Did you notice that he was re-raising the UTG raiser that’s located to the left of the dealer not directly in your line of sight!

You get no second chances in MTT’s and these mistakes are huge and unrepairable. I flat called a straight flush one night in a ranking tournament cos I thought there was another card to come (lack of focus & fatigue). I would have been a massive chip leader and probably come 1st instead of 8th. I didn’t need to work out anything other than how much to make the player pay and I failed. No rocket science in the answers just basic awareness.

Talking of awareness I think I need some training. I stayed in the bellagio and for the 1st 3 nights was bathing using this Green minty bath lotion then going out on the razzle. After 3 nights I thought this lotion is shite it doesn’t even make soap suds, I read the bottle it was antiseptic mouthwash…

Need I say more?

WSOP 2006 Main Event

Main event preparations went brilliant and when I sat down at my table nothing could have been better. I felt fantastic, relaxed and at ease with my opponents and sharp, yes razor sharp, I was spotting everything. I was soaking up information like a sponge and it was flowing in abundance, the importance of preparation I realise. The player to my immediate left was a Vegas Pro cash player who was very affable and willing to give up his blinds constantly telling me how well I was playing. Yes, I had his game sussed and I was not reciprocating, I knew he was constantly probing for information and trying to pal me up for later.

I did not have any plans other than see how it goes and see how the table develops over a couple of hours. However, I did plan to get in a few pots and see if I could build my stack in comfort rather than putting myself under any pressure to make difficult decisions. The first 6 hours went to plan and I had grinded my way up to around 18k, my table image was good and I still felt like this was going to be my day.

One player on the table was just min raising constantly without any awareness of anything other than his own two cards. He was talking constantly so I did what KP recommended and stuck my earphones on to drown him out. At first he was hitting allsorts but inevitably from a large stack he eventually dwindled it away to around 5k. Everyone wanted his chips and I got my opportunity when he raised to 800 and I flat called with AQ flop J 8 3 he bets 1k I call thinking he’s most likely missed and the turn brings the Ace. He bets 1500 but he bets it a little too eager for my liking so I call but proceed with caution to the river where he makes a bet of 1k. I think now that I am possibly behind he’s acting real weak and the bet stinks. I make my crying call and see his AJ and he says “sorry dude I didn’t want your chips so I bet small on the river cos I kinda like you”. TY and fekk off dogs arse! I think whilst smiling and thanking him for being so kind.

I convince myself this is no problem but I did feel disgruntled at the fact that I’m up against the table Muppet and he draws nearly a third of my stack (who’s the Muppet I ask myself amongst other thoughts now infiltrating my mind). The AQ was the best hand I’d had in ages and it was going to be a while for another but the assassin who’d been grinding away with ruthless precision was tilting. In the process of waiting for something decent a few skirmishes cost me another 3k leaving me with 10k my original buy-in and that feeling of unease inside. Now I am a little gutted here and thinking allsorts of stuff about how to build my stack back up, checking the time, counting peoples stacks, thinking here we go just when I get started etc. Generally speaking I went on a little tilt that was gathering pace and my mindset switched from solid/aggressive poker to if I don‘t act soon I’ll be swallowed up mode.

Here comes what I consider my only real bad/disgusting/poor/shit decision in 9hrs of play. I get QQ UTG and UTG+1 (Vegas Pro) smooth calls my 750 raise everyone else folds. Now he has 8.5k I have 10k we are both aware of our short stacked-ness and the smooth call makes my brain hit the red alert button this guy is tight. Flop comes 10 7 3 with 2 x diamonds and I lead out with a near pot sized bet of 1500. Player states “raise” & calls the 1500 and makes it another 3k to go. I look at his stack and I know 100% he’s committed to the pot. I consider his range and decide that AA or KK is most likely also a possible set. He could possibly have AK diamonds or some kind of draw but I think he’s too tight to make that raise so basically I have worked out my QQ is beat.
Now clear as day here whilst I’m thinking and concluding I visualise throwing my QQ down face up and saying “nice hand”. I know 100% if I do and I’m beat he will show me his cards because he wants the pot he’s not bothered about racing. Only if he’s bluffing will he muck.

Just as I’m about to pass as I have everything worked out I think to myself what a poor stack I have and how it’s all gone pear shaped when it was going so well. “ALL-IN” I announce and “I CALL” is the response followed by AA landing on the table before he rolled the LL from Call off his tongue. Split second of madness, I had him worked out to a tee I knew he’d show me those Aces and what a good pass I’d made and I DONKED my chips in the middle and felt a right cnut for doing so.

$1500 left and I was determined to put my head back into the job and I did make a comeback. Managed to steal a little then moved with 66 on the table min raising Villain who called with KQ off and I hit a set to double me up to 7k. I was waiting to move again when dealt AK in late position. Min raising Villain min raised as per usual and another short stacked player started pondering whether to call or push. When he eventually called I sensed it as weakness and moved all-in, this was my chance to get right back in it especially after my 66 push. If I can get another loose call from him then bring it on! Villain announces “CALL” and the player who I sensed as weak folds. Villain turns over QQ and they stand up to take me out of the tournament.

I have a lot to learn in MTT’s but my nagging thought is this. I didn’t start gambling till I was at $1500 why not play like that at $15000 and try for a big stack or busto. I was fading away and could have faded in better circumstances than QQ when I know I’m behind. Decisions Decisions… Yes I made one big bad mutha of a decision now I have to work out why, how, where when and what I need to do to correct my mistakes. How, why where when and what I do is another topic…

Now where’s the sats for the EPT gone ….