Archive for June, 2008
Running bad and wondering where it goes
Lately I’ve been playing the 1/2 NL games on Pokerstars. I’d been warned that 1/2 is a pretty big jump from smaller-stakes games, and the warnings are fairly accurate I think. The average regular is far better than at lower stakes: looser, more positionally aware, better at bet-sizing and better at hand reading. Most don’t stack off too light, and can put you in very tough spots on later streets. Squeezing pre-flop is really common, too much so I think but I’m pretty sure cardrunners has convinced people that it works with any two cards.
Status Report
I’ve been sucked into poker vortex, and I’m lovin’ it. I’ve managed to win enough in my PLO cash games to fund all of the events that I’ve played at the WSOP. I haven’t had any tournament cashes though. Some poker smarty once said that in tournaments, “all you can do is play well in enough to put yourself in a position to get lucky when the blinds and antes start getting high.” I’ve been within fifteen from the money five times only to run into a sick beat or a cooler. Which is frustrating, since it’s maximum effort and time commitment for no return, but I have been bringing my A game, and I feel good about that.
Thoughts on variance
Before I continue my little WSOP trip report, I’m having a few existentialist thoughts on variance. No, I’m not having a losing streak, but several of my friends are. Yeah, variance can be brutal in this game, when all your opponents’ 2-5 outers seem to come in and you start doubting, whether to raise your AQs in the BB when there’s already 5 limpers in. But at what point is it not variance anymore? At what point it is you who’s playing bad? Maybe you were on a heater before? Maybe you are tilting because of your downswing?
Weekend Vegas Trip Part 2
On Saturday we woke up around 12pm and went down for breakfast around 1pm. We decided we would check out the Rio and then try to get into a 7pm tournament at Planet Hollywood.
Weekend Vegas Trip Part 1
For some reason, I haven’t been in the mood to post in awhile- despite having resent success on Poker Stars. However, we took our first weekend trip out to Vegas on 6/6-6/8 after moving to LA.. so I asked around and found the best time to leave on Friday would be after rush hour.. so we hung out til about 7:15 and couldn’t wait any longer so we hit the road. It was an easy drive that took a little under 4 hours (probably with the excitement I drove a little faster than I should have in my Jeep)… and gas wasn’t too too horrible.
Just hammered
I have taken about 2 months off after the birth of daughter number 2. While its been more work - since now we are down to man to man coverage instead of zone…its also much easier. Anyone who has had #2 will agree.
Finally got through some much needed work and my focus on that aspect of my life has paid off dearly. Just recently I made 2 big scores and hope its the start of something great. I have found that taking time off from the poker grind has made me enjoy my little forays into the poker world so much more enjoyable.
Day 5 of my WSOP week. Event #12, 1500$ Limit Hold’em
Finally, some sleep. It is 11:30am and I am just waking up. The TV is blabbing idiocies about Hillary Clinton and her endorsing Barack Obama. But I just have to watch. I make my way down to the coffee shop. I am so hungry, I say to myself “screw the comps” and just go in and pay for a nice hearty Omelette breakfast. God, it is taking me so long to get going. I don’t know if it’s the 1k I lost the night before or just laziness on my part. I do not feel excited at all. As I sit in front of the Video Poker machine to get my mailings activated, boredom settles in. Man, you can lose so much time in Vegas and survive.
Day 4 on my WSOP week. Mt. Hopkins - Las Vegas
I’m sorry, I just ended this report so abruptly. Las Vegas happened, plus a bunch of other personal stuff (good stuff, don’t worry). Finally I’m getting to update this. Anyway, this is Day 4 on the WSOP trip. Let’s get on with it!
Observing was great. We got a lot of data and I’ve got a lot of work for the next few weeks. But this isn’t about work. This is the day I go to Las Vegas. A lot of driving to do today, but I have done the trip before and I know it’s beautiful. So we all get up at around 11 am (after having worked until 5:30 am), I guess we are all just eager to leave the mountain. After driving down the long and winding road, basecamp is reached at around 1pm. I am in the real world again…
Congrats Johnny Neckar, John Phan
Aaargh sooo tilted right now I was grinding stupid $2/5 cash today while 50 feet away from me a FT was happening with a poker acquaintance that I have sweated and played with before.
Johnny Neckar finished 2nd to John Phan today in the $3k NLHE tourney - it was a marathon heads up match and I could hear the screaming from my table. Unfortunately, I was too stupid to check it out and missed out on seeing this kid. After sweating his $5k mixed limit cash, I told him I’d sweat him if he went deep again but I missed it and just found out that he FTed after I came home and checked out pokernews.
Gone but not forgotten
Just wanted to drop a line and wish all my fellow Poker Sifters a great WSOP. Will be very excited to see or hear someone take down an event. The poker career has been on hiatus as I take care of my 8 week old. Adding another gal to the stable has been a lot of work as we moved from zone to man on man.
Not to be forgotten - I’ve been given the Harrington on Holdem Cash game books which I hope will elevate me.
I’ll be back….
