It seems like all I do nowadays is drink and party. Yesterday I was at a BBQ party. The weather is really nice these days, and we're not used to that on the Norwegian west coast. Today I went to see The Dark Knight, the new Batman movie. It was entertaining and all, but didn't really live up to its hype imo. Afterwards we went out for a couple of beers. Downtown is overcrowded with people everyday because of a food festival. Tomorrow there is another party going down, so things are hectic.
I had a big losing day on Wednesday. Actually, it was my first losing day all month. I dropped $1k, all at 1/2. Most of it were coolers like kings vs. aces. Later at night I sat in for another session and actually managed to grind back $400. The last two days have been pretty standard for me. I play for half an hour, gain a $200-300 profit and call it a day. That's how most of my month has been going. I need to play more!
Friday, July 25, 2008
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Sunday Million
Yesterday (Saturday) evening I was sitting at home all alone, eating my pizza with no real plans for the night. At around 10 pm my friend Victor called me and asked if I wanted to go out for a couple of beers. Sure enough, I obliged. We ended the night in the apartment of a couple of girls and stayed until about 7 am. There was no action, since neither of the two girls were really up to my standards. Got home and played some online chess against Odin. I won most of the games, so that felt good, seeing as I was drunk as hell. I ended up not going to bed until 4 pm. I followed the live action from a chess tournament where my buddy Magnus Carlsen won his first game. Mad props to him. At 6 pm I got a phone call from Odin and Emil (a friend who is in town for the week) who were on their way to pick me up for the movies. I wanted to stay in bed, but didn't want to be a jerk either, so off we went to see Hancock, which obviously sucked.
I just busted out of the Sunday Million. I played well, so it doesn't really bother me, but losing 80/20's are never fun. Oh well, there's always next Sunday. One of these weeks I gotta last longer. Here are some of the big hands from today:
Blinds 50/100. I open-raise JJ from middle position to 300. Button makes it 600 and BB calls (?). I call BS and repop him to 1900. He calls, as does the BB (set miner?). Flop is TT3 rainbow and I'm obviously not going anywhere. I bet 3300 and button instantly moves in for approx. 3000 more (sigh). I have to call and he shows me 22 (what?!). I hold and increase my stack to 20k.
Same orbit I open 66 UTG for 300. A shorty moves in for 75 more and BB calls. Flop is 977 rainbow and BB leads for 300. I raise to 1100 just in case he's full of it. He insta-raises to 4000, so I guess not. I fold and he has 97.
Blinds 100/200. Complete maniac open-raises the button to 600. I decide to smooth-call with ATo from the SB. Both because I could have him dominated and because he won't believe I have a big hand on ace high flops. A little trick I learned from Brian Townsend's videos. BB overcalls and we see a flop of Kxx two spades. It gets checked through and turn is the queen of spades, which gives me the nut flush draw and a gutshot. I bet 1200 and the maniac calls me. River is a blank and I decide to bluff for 2600, just in case he has a small pair. Or if he was on a draw as well I'm not going to give him an oppurtunity to bluff. He thinks for a while before calling with QJ. I'm down to 14k.
Blinds 150/300. There is one early position limper and our maniacal friend on the right raises to 1200. I call with 67 of clubs and everyone else folds. Flop J73 rainbow. He bets 1600 and I think about coming over the top, but decide to take off a card instead to get more information from him. Turn is the 9 of diamonds (the J is also a diamond). He checks to me and now I'm absolutely positive that I have him beat. I bet 3300, expecting to get check-raised all-in by a lot of draws. This may not be good tournament strategy, even though I know I have him beat. You should usually avoid getting all-in, but I guess there's nothing wrong with taking a 80/20. He puts me all-in for 6000 more and I insta-insta-insta-call. He shows up with ATo and finds a ten on the river. GG me.
I just busted out of the Sunday Million. I played well, so it doesn't really bother me, but losing 80/20's are never fun. Oh well, there's always next Sunday. One of these weeks I gotta last longer. Here are some of the big hands from today:
Blinds 50/100. I open-raise JJ from middle position to 300. Button makes it 600 and BB calls (?). I call BS and repop him to 1900. He calls, as does the BB (set miner?). Flop is TT3 rainbow and I'm obviously not going anywhere. I bet 3300 and button instantly moves in for approx. 3000 more (sigh). I have to call and he shows me 22 (what?!). I hold and increase my stack to 20k.
Same orbit I open 66 UTG for 300. A shorty moves in for 75 more and BB calls. Flop is 977 rainbow and BB leads for 300. I raise to 1100 just in case he's full of it. He insta-raises to 4000, so I guess not. I fold and he has 97.
Blinds 100/200. Complete maniac open-raises the button to 600. I decide to smooth-call with ATo from the SB. Both because I could have him dominated and because he won't believe I have a big hand on ace high flops. A little trick I learned from Brian Townsend's videos. BB overcalls and we see a flop of Kxx two spades. It gets checked through and turn is the queen of spades, which gives me the nut flush draw and a gutshot. I bet 1200 and the maniac calls me. River is a blank and I decide to bluff for 2600, just in case he has a small pair. Or if he was on a draw as well I'm not going to give him an oppurtunity to bluff. He thinks for a while before calling with QJ. I'm down to 14k.
Blinds 150/300. There is one early position limper and our maniacal friend on the right raises to 1200. I call with 67 of clubs and everyone else folds. Flop J73 rainbow. He bets 1600 and I think about coming over the top, but decide to take off a card instead to get more information from him. Turn is the 9 of diamonds (the J is also a diamond). He checks to me and now I'm absolutely positive that I have him beat. I bet 3300, expecting to get check-raised all-in by a lot of draws. This may not be good tournament strategy, even though I know I have him beat. You should usually avoid getting all-in, but I guess there's nothing wrong with taking a 80/20. He puts me all-in for 6000 more and I insta-insta-insta-call. He shows up with ATo and finds a ten on the river. GG me.
Friday, July 18, 2008
The Journalist
In my first post in this blog I mentioned that I was a student, but nothing specific. I studied electrical engineering for five years, but in the last three I was more or less never at the University. I probably finished two thirds of the degree before I decided to quit altogether. It just wasn't meant for me. Well, the big news now is that I'm going into journalism. It's the hardest curriculum to be accepted into at the University in my city, but my grades from high school are top notch, so it proved to be a piece of cake. That's stating in late August, and I will have less time for poker, but I'm too lazy to play much anyway.
Over to more important issues imo. I have been crushing the 1/2 games at Full Tilt. Even though I had a downswing yesterday, I'm still winning at over 20 BB/100 for the month. I was stuck $550 yesterday before deciding to take a shot at 2/4. Not because I was necessarily on tilt. I am properly rolled for that level and I figured I might as well take my first shot when I was stuck, since I was less likely to play scared money. My forray lasted 10 minutes, after which I had profited $600 and unstuck myself for the night. Owned.
Tried out Titan Poker today since there was a promo that gives me Pokertracker for free. In my first sessions I won two buy-ins at 0.5/1, and I must say the games were very good and that Titan certainly lived up to its reputation as a fishy site. Good to know that there is still plenty of loose action out there for those who seek it, although I believe they don't accept Americans.
Over to more important issues imo. I have been crushing the 1/2 games at Full Tilt. Even though I had a downswing yesterday, I'm still winning at over 20 BB/100 for the month. I was stuck $550 yesterday before deciding to take a shot at 2/4. Not because I was necessarily on tilt. I am properly rolled for that level and I figured I might as well take my first shot when I was stuck, since I was less likely to play scared money. My forray lasted 10 minutes, after which I had profited $600 and unstuck myself for the night. Owned.
Tried out Titan Poker today since there was a promo that gives me Pokertracker for free. In my first sessions I won two buy-ins at 0.5/1, and I must say the games were very good and that Titan certainly lived up to its reputation as a fishy site. Good to know that there is still plenty of loose action out there for those who seek it, although I believe they don't accept Americans.
LOL Weekends
I was gonna write this post after the weekend, but before I got to it the next weekend had already started. It was a pretty fun weekend overall. On friday me and Odin went to the local poker club and played the $200 freeze. I came in 4th for about $600. Right before I busted I had put the shortstack all-in with 77 and he called with 83o because he thought he was committed. Quite a silly hand to commit yourself with imo, but that's poker. Of course he hit his 8 and I was left short. Fun tournament though, but a little too lengthy for my taste. My run lasted 7 hours.
On Saturday we went clubbing. Fun times. I haven't been drinking much lately, so the 1 liter Bacardi bottle I shared with Odin certainly had its effect. And when I met a cute girl at a bar I obviously bought plenty of drinks and champagne. I spent something like $400 that night, even though we got discounts since one of Odin's friend worked in the bar. Norway is fucking expensive - at least when you buy champagne. It's a good thing I have mad poker skills.
On Sunday afternoon I still felt drunk enough that I took a taxi to Odin's place instead of driving. I played some of the big Sunday tournaments on Stars, notably the Sunday Million (which had a $2.5M prize pool this week) and Second Chance. Odin had a 50 % share so I wouldn't ruin myself. In the Sunday Million I got off to a great start with some good hands and good reads. But then I had to fold KK to a river checkraise, and afterwards I got card dead, before getting knocked out in a very sick hand where the RNG managed to spit out AA, KK, QQ and AK on the same deal (I had KK).
I feel that I've reached the point where I make so much money on cash games that it's not really worth my time to play tournaments unless they have huge prize pools. I'll play the Sunday Million whenever I have time. And when the FTOPS starts in August I'll try to play at least some of the 6-max tourneys and the $300 Razz. Other than that I'll save my energy for the cash games.
So as to not make this post too incoherent, I will make a new one about my week in general.
On Saturday we went clubbing. Fun times. I haven't been drinking much lately, so the 1 liter Bacardi bottle I shared with Odin certainly had its effect. And when I met a cute girl at a bar I obviously bought plenty of drinks and champagne. I spent something like $400 that night, even though we got discounts since one of Odin's friend worked in the bar. Norway is fucking expensive - at least when you buy champagne. It's a good thing I have mad poker skills.
On Sunday afternoon I still felt drunk enough that I took a taxi to Odin's place instead of driving. I played some of the big Sunday tournaments on Stars, notably the Sunday Million (which had a $2.5M prize pool this week) and Second Chance. Odin had a 50 % share so I wouldn't ruin myself. In the Sunday Million I got off to a great start with some good hands and good reads. But then I had to fold KK to a river checkraise, and afterwards I got card dead, before getting knocked out in a very sick hand where the RNG managed to spit out AA, KK, QQ and AK on the same deal (I had KK).
I feel that I've reached the point where I make so much money on cash games that it's not really worth my time to play tournaments unless they have huge prize pools. I'll play the Sunday Million whenever I have time. And when the FTOPS starts in August I'll try to play at least some of the 6-max tourneys and the $300 Razz. Other than that I'll save my energy for the cash games.
So as to not make this post too incoherent, I will make a new one about my week in general.
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Table Selection - The Icehawk System
I've seen a lot of advice on online table selection, both on the 2+2 forums and in training videos. They all pretty much bluntly state the same thing. Just choose the tables that have high average pot sizes and a high player per flop percentage. Now, I've given this subject a bit more thought and have come to a different conclusion.
I never used to be particularly disiplined when it came to game selection. The first time I went on a heater and amassed a bankroll (back in the fall of '06) I would routinely sit in high stakes NLHE games with the likes of Allen Cunningham and John Juanda. The tougher the competition, the better. After busting my roll a couple of times I came to my senses. But the first thing I adjusted, was my bankroll management, which is actually way more important. I still chose tables completely at random and never used a HUD. In fact, I still do that, to some extent. I'm just a bit lazy, I guess.
On to the system. The avg. pot and plr/flp statistics that most sites feature can really give some useful information. I've divided the table types into four groups (remember, all of this concerns 6-max NLHE cash only). There are 'in-between' tables that will not fall into any of these categories, but these are the extremes:
So this is my table selecting system. I always try to find the LP tables. If the stack sizes are smaller than 100 BBs, that's also a good sign. The good regs will always buy in full and there are no good shortstackers at small stakes.
If you divide the player per flop percentage with the average pot size in BBs you get a number that I call the 'icehawk number'. In my system, this number should ideally be high. A good LP table might have an 'icehawk number' of 4 or more. WT tables will also generally have quite high numbers. LAG tables will have icehawk numbers around 2 and TAG tables can have numbers close to 1 or even lower than 1 in extreme cases. Remember if you play tables with very high icehawk numbers (7 or higher) that these can be quite tricky to play, because so many of the pots will be multiway. Anyway, I hope someone finds these thoughts helpful. I'm sure table preferences vary with playing style. If you're a TAG like me, I'm sure you like to be on tables with a lot of loose passive fish.
I never used to be particularly disiplined when it came to game selection. The first time I went on a heater and amassed a bankroll (back in the fall of '06) I would routinely sit in high stakes NLHE games with the likes of Allen Cunningham and John Juanda. The tougher the competition, the better. After busting my roll a couple of times I came to my senses. But the first thing I adjusted, was my bankroll management, which is actually way more important. I still chose tables completely at random and never used a HUD. In fact, I still do that, to some extent. I'm just a bit lazy, I guess.
On to the system. The avg. pot and plr/flp statistics that most sites feature can really give some useful information. I've divided the table types into four groups (remember, all of this concerns 6-max NLHE cash only). There are 'in-between' tables that will not fall into any of these categories, but these are the extremes:
- Loose Aggressive (LAG) tables Avg. pot >20 BBs Plr/Flp >35%
- Tight Aggressive (TAG) tables Avg. pot >20 BBs Plr/Flp <30%
- Loose Passive (LP) tables Avg. pot <10bbs Plr/Flp >35%
- Weak Tight (WT) tables Avg. pot <10>BBs Plr/Flp <30%
So this is my table selecting system. I always try to find the LP tables. If the stack sizes are smaller than 100 BBs, that's also a good sign. The good regs will always buy in full and there are no good shortstackers at small stakes.
If you divide the player per flop percentage with the average pot size in BBs you get a number that I call the 'icehawk number'. In my system, this number should ideally be high. A good LP table might have an 'icehawk number' of 4 or more. WT tables will also generally have quite high numbers. LAG tables will have icehawk numbers around 2 and TAG tables can have numbers close to 1 or even lower than 1 in extreme cases. Remember if you play tables with very high icehawk numbers (7 or higher) that these can be quite tricky to play, because so many of the pots will be multiway. Anyway, I hope someone finds these thoughts helpful. I'm sure table preferences vary with playing style. If you're a TAG like me, I'm sure you like to be on tables with a lot of loose passive fish.
Man On Fire
After my nice tourney win I decided to jump in some 1/2 games at Full Tilt. I haven't really played that level regularly before. I took a few shots before my Peru trip, but that was only one or two tables at a time, and besides, it was on WSEX, where the games are much softer. Anyway, I was up to the challenge, as I raked in three buy-ins within half an hour's play. I also booked a small cash win today when I was warming up for the $75 6-max donkament. The tourney went very well, as I made the final table and ended in 5th place for $900. So 3 days and $3k profit! Admittedly I've ran quite hot, but still.
Bankroll is now up to $8k after some cashouts. That means I'm rolled for 2/4 NL by the standard Brian Townsend 20 BI rule. But I don't think I will move up quite yet. I just started playing 1/2! As I've become more experienced in this game, I have come to understand that moving up as fast as possible is not necessarily a goal in itself. If you want to become a professional player, you should always strive to work towards a longterm goal of becoming a better player instead of focusing too much on short-term income. Eventually the money will come by itself. When I move up to 2/4 I have to deal with 4-figure swings on a daily basis. I'm used to playing 0.5/1, so it's a pretty big step up.
Bankroll is now up to $8k after some cashouts. That means I'm rolled for 2/4 NL by the standard Brian Townsend 20 BI rule. But I don't think I will move up quite yet. I just started playing 1/2! As I've become more experienced in this game, I have come to understand that moving up as fast as possible is not necessarily a goal in itself. If you want to become a professional player, you should always strive to work towards a longterm goal of becoming a better player instead of focusing too much on short-term income. Eventually the money will come by itself. When I move up to 2/4 I have to deal with 4-figure swings on a daily basis. I'm used to playing 0.5/1, so it's a pretty big step up.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
El Campeón
I just came home from amazing Peru this evening. I'm not gonna go into too many details about the trip since this is a poker blog and not a tourist guide. But let's just say I experienced a lot during the 17 days I visited that culturally and geographically diverse country.
I haven't really slept since Lima. I usually need a bed to fall asleep. Anyway, I decided to pay my friend Odin a visit. We chatted for some hours about 'current affairs' and future plans while playing a little online poker on separate laptops. I entered the traditional $26 Pot Limit Hold 'Em tourney at Full Tilt (I talked a lot about it in my previous blog - it's a fun little daily 6-max tournament that usually attracts around 200 players - me, Odin and Joar have each won it at least once). After quite a few final table blowups I finally managed to win it again. And I did so in totally dominating fashion, knocking out every player at the final table. So that was a nice $1,300 payday on my first day back in Norway. My bankroll is up to $7k and I'm looking to move up to 2/4 NL soon. I was afraid it would take time to get back in the groove after two week's absence, but it looks like my fears were unwarranted.
I haven't really slept since Lima. I usually need a bed to fall asleep. Anyway, I decided to pay my friend Odin a visit. We chatted for some hours about 'current affairs' and future plans while playing a little online poker on separate laptops. I entered the traditional $26 Pot Limit Hold 'Em tourney at Full Tilt (I talked a lot about it in my previous blog - it's a fun little daily 6-max tournament that usually attracts around 200 players - me, Odin and Joar have each won it at least once). After quite a few final table blowups I finally managed to win it again. And I did so in totally dominating fashion, knocking out every player at the final table. So that was a nice $1,300 payday on my first day back in Norway. My bankroll is up to $7k and I'm looking to move up to 2/4 NL soon. I was afraid it would take time to get back in the groove after two week's absence, but it looks like my fears were unwarranted.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
