Bank Roll Is Up Woot!

After I used the FPP's to play in the sit n go's, I have managed to transfer them into cash winnings, I started entering into 10 man single tables, for $3.40 each. I came 1st a few times and cashed in the top 3 placings.

Now! the bankroll is on $341, and I'm sticking with the grinders mentality to make my goal, I did play a $5.50 tourney and a $11 tourney with no luck, I Had A-A in the $11 event and got it all in against K-K, only to have a king spike on the turn, sending me home early.

The FPP's are low now, so I will have to head back to the ring games and put my grinding hat back on.

Matt
Somethingaboutpoker.com

Playing Sit N Go's

Just a quick post, I have been playing sit n go tourneys with my (FPP) frequent player points. I had about 540 points which was enough to enter into 7 of them that cost 70 FPP each.

You play them like a free roll, because most of the players are maniacs, and will push all in with anything half decent. They were satelite tourneys, meaning that first place paid for a ticket to the Sunday Guaranteed $100K tourney, worth $11.

What I did how ever was un rgister from the event so I could get credited the $11, PokerStars gives it back to you in Tournament Dollars, which you can use for more Sit N Go's with cash prizes.

I ended up winning 5 out of 7 and got my tourney dollars up to $55, not to bad. Now i'm going to enter $3.40 - 10 people events and report back on here.

Finding Time and Keeping Motivated

At the moment I have been working night shift at my J.O.B, if you don’t know, I am actually a Black Jack Dealer at my local casino which is just across the road. It’s a great job because I get to do shift work which gives me time off, plus I get to tune my gambling instincts watching how other people gamble.

I have been trying to find a good time to play, having to ready myself for night shift work by sleeping all morning and working at night. I have also been putting in a lot of effort into my website by adding content and new reviews etc.

I have only managed to play a few times and was just about to start a new session but wanted to add a quick blog before I start. The account is now on $284 and my aim is to get it over $300 in the next few days. I have talked to other friends and colleagues at work that are currently playing online, and I was feeling like I was out of my depth when one of the guys I was talking to, was talking about how he plays at the $2-$4 NL and has a bankroll of up to $3-4K.

I definitely had to realize that it is about patience and that my time will come.

By the way I am looking at another website at the moment that has fantastic resources for improving your game; it’s called Poker Dynasty and it is worth checking out!

Matt
Somethingaboutpoker.com

Staying Off Tilt

I must admit I came close to going on tilt for the first time, when I had a succession of bad beats over a few days; luckily I managed to keep my focus again to keep the journey alive and thriving.

I have been trying to work out how many tables at one time is best for me to play at and the most profitable, I started out playing 4 tables at the 1c-2c level and found that comfortable enough, Then I cut down to 3 tables as I started to get distracted because I play on turbo tables, Last night though I managed to drop down to $230 in the bank roll before playing only one table to bring it back up to about $270. I found my focus was really sharp on one table only.

I was sitting at the table with about $40 which is 4 times the buy in ($10), there was one real calling station at the table that was calling value bet after value bet and I didn’t want to leave until he left.

I haven’t really been in tune to the tourneys for a while so I’m thinking of sticking to cash games until the $300 mark and then make plans to attack the tournament side of things properly. I didn’t manage to qualify for any Sunday tourneys as I felt too tired from work and was making bad decisions.

Matt
Somethingaboutpoker.com

Up and Down Week

I have neglected the blog this week as I have been working on the Somethingaboutpoker.com website getting my IT team to fix a few bug issues and also adding some new reviews of websites which will be going up over March.

This means I haven’t had fulltime to play and have been online only for short sessions, I am still grinding it out at the 5c -10c and am still trying to get use to the play, a lot of people are willing to gamble and call all ins with very slim draws etc, in the 1c – 2c I found that some people were easy to bluff because that might have been all the money that they had, but on the new level people are calling me down, I might have to work harder on being tight.

I got the account up and then succumbed to some sick beats having set over set on me, I hit two sets on the flop with my opponents having Q-Q and also A-A only for me to re raise them all in and them calling to hit their two outer on the turn or the river.

Other than that the account is comfortably on $250, and I hope to make more time available to keep the momentum of my winning sessions.

I also played pub poker at a local bar last Thursday night, it had been along time since I played live, and man did I feel a bit rusty, I could feel my heart beat again when I had K-K under the gun and also when I pulled off a bluff. I didn’t last very long though as the blinds were moving fast and I got it all in with A-10 clubs to have a friend from work who invited me, call me with Q-Q busting me out of the tourney, Oh well hopefully I’ll get another shot if I’m not working that night.

All the Sunday tourneys are happening tomorrow so I’m going to see if I can go and Qualify.

Matt
Somethingaboutpoker.com

Dam Internet Connection!

I had a bit of trouble with my internet over the weekend, it kept cutting off during my cash game play online and I couldn’t get a rhythm going with my play. It got me thinking what if I had been in a major final table or something and you were in the top ten with first prize being a 6 figure pay out? I would be crushed!

I looked at the internet company’s policy and the best they said they could probably do is reimburse you for the day of down time. Gee great that equals about $1 for me, lucky I wasn’t having a crack at the Sunday Millions on the bubble.

I must have gone up and down over the last few days, I took the account from $221 up to $235 and then with the internet fiasco it dwindled down to $229, Lucky today that everything seemed to go alright, my patience was good, my reads were good and I played generally well getting the account up to $240.

I feel like I am playing with total comfort now and I am looking forward to the bankroll increasing everyday!

Matt
Somethingaboutpoker.com

Next Stop $500!

I thought I would write a quick blog to say that I have still been running well with my play being patient and consistent poker. I have the bankroll up to $221 by playing at the 5c-10c NL tables and by playing a couple of Sit N Goes as well.

Most of the bankroll increase came from a hand I played out in a cash game, I had 10d-8d on the button and made a standard bluff raise to steal the pot, I ended up getting raised by the big blind and then another caller to the raise in late position.

I called to see if I would get lucky on the flop and I hit the jackpot when 10s-2s-8h came down on the flop giving me top two pair.

The initial re raiser bet half the pot and late position guy calls, this brought the pot up to about $3.50 and I had $9.80 in my stack.

Now when it comes to medium pairs, two pairs or even bottom two pairs, I like to play them aggressively and punish the chasers going for their draws, The hands I was worried about the most were spade flush drawing hands and something like 9-7, J-9 or even Q-J to some real fish player going for the gut shot.

Anyway I put the initial re raiser on may be either J-J or A-K with a total miss of the board and my gut said that the late position guy was definitely drawing with one of the previous hands I mentioned, All of a sudden my instinct took over and I just pushed all-in for my whole stack at risk (If I lost this hand I still had $200 available- I didn’t want to go below my previous goal).

My instincts were correct, early re raiser folded straight away and late position player tanked for a while and then decided to call… I was screaming for total blanks to hit the board and everything looked pretty harmless when a 5c came on the turn and then 4d on the river, I took down a pot of about $19 and the late position guy flipped over Js-9s which gave him the up and down straight draw and flush draw combined.

I worked out his odds on the flop with an online odds calculator and it was a perfect 50-50 coin flip situation… Phew got lucky on that one. I still didn’t think he had 15 outs to make a hand though; I generally want to make sure I have at least 65% -90% odds to win when ever I go all in on a cash game.

A lot of people like to chase online, but I think overall by playing aggressively the majority of the time this should pay off,

Matt
Somethingaboutpoker.com

Breakthrough!

Finally I have reached my first goal of reaching a $200 bankroll…Hoorah! I started doubting whether I could get back over $200, its funny when you set goals for yourself and then you end up focusing too hard on just the monetary goal and not actually playing well.

That is the biggest lesson I have learnt over the last few weeks grinding it out. I must have been going up and down and all of a sudden when I got close to $200, I started to tighten up my play and not use the same strategy that I have been employing.

I must admit, I started to land some big hands against people who were either drawing or had top two pair and I hand top set. One hand I had A-J and the flop came down A-J- Rag with two clubs. Joe blow in early position pushed all in for $8 and I called and stacked him when he missed his flush draw.

Also I had A-A and the flop came out J-8-6, against 2 callers I checked the flop feigning weakness (dangerous I know), opponent best turn card comes an A,I check again opponent bets the pot, I raise, he goes all in and I call with my A-A-A vs. his A-J top two pair.

That was enough to put my bankroll past the $200 goal mark. Now for the next goal along the path…$500, I can’t wait to reach this level because then I will feel comfortable moving up to the 10c – 25c level which is $25 to buy in at the tables.

Well I’m finished for the night and will get some rest for the next goal at hand!

Matt
Somethingaboutpoker.com