Go with the Flow

Started @1830. Today I find myself focusing mainly on three areas: Flow of the table, board texture, and showdown %. I talked yesterday about showdown %, so today I'll talk about table flow and board texture...(deciding whether or not to bluff based solely on my opponent's sd% has helped immensely)

Table flow is rediculously important. If your observant, and watch who's playing pots from where, you can easily pick their pockets on occasion. This came in play during my tourney today when I noticed the player to be right raised every time it was folded around to him on the button. It just required me to have the balls to reraise him.

Board texture was more apparent during my cash play. I stopped trying to bluff when the board provided a little something everyone might like. (ex. QT5 with 2 hearts). I also stopped bluffing pots with more then 3 opponents in them-as that was just stupid to begin with. Where as during my tourney, within 15 minutes, players were essentially going all-in preflop the majority of the time.

I'm Playing in my first tourney in awhile....Started @2030 and went until 2245. I made 3rd out of 105 people and won $616.89. Felt good playing in tourneys again (obviously). I was blessed with American Airlines 3 times, kings, and queens. All won healthy pots and allowed me to finish well.

Ending Bankroll: $1,186.00

Playing Bad and Running Bad

What happens when you play like crap, and on top of it people get runner-runner to beat you? You lose about 1/3 of your bankroll. I need to stop bluffing players who won't fold. Especially on the .50/$1 tables. Seems like I lose a bunch to folks when it "appears" they're on a flush draw. From now on, I'm going to pay attention to went to showdown %. If this stat is around 30%, DON'T TRY MULTI-STREET BLUFFS!

I probably lost about two hundo on pathetic bluffs to pathetic players. Today really brought home this point. However, I am playing middle pairs better. I'm not losing massive pots with them! I'm unfortunately not winning huge pots with them either, as I haven't been flopping trips all.....(LOL, I just flopped trip nines and won $85 as I wrote this)

My low point of the day was somewhere around $460, for a negative $230. After about 5 hours of playing about 5 different tables and losing 25-45 on each, I started my climb back up.

I played from 1830 until 2430. The craziest table of the day had 2 people seeing 60-70% of the flops and another seeing 40+%. I unfortunately wasn't able to capitalize ( no good hands) until the very end after they already blew through a few hundred.

Ending Bankroll: $586

Initial play at the table

I seem to lose a ton right away! Today it was off of bad bluff play with AKo-first hand. Lost $65 to TT, who called me all the way down. Should of saved last $35. Horrible Play. During my first few hands I, and my statistical software, don't have a feel for the table & I usually leaves me with a negative expectation. I recovered playing decent, and finished the day ahead. I was even smart enough to bet $55 on the turn when I made a boat(and was ahead), and check/fold on the river when my opponent made quads(and showed). Feels great, being able to make great plays-even if they're not that often yet....

I played for around 3 hours today and am pleased with my overall performance. I still need to focus on AK and middle pairs. I actually had to go back through and up my $ goal for the month because I feel getting to 1k isn't good enough any more.

Ending Bankroll: $693

Attention to Detail Part 1 - Evaluating the Game

This is part of a series entitled Attention to Detail. The worst thing in poker (and life) is going into "autopilot" mode. The way to prevent this is to use my active creativity to constantly analyse the game and each individual player's deviations from "The Perfect Strategy". Much of this is rewritten from the Poker Geniues Slansky...

When I sit down at a table, from now on, I will focus on a few aspects. Noticing how the table is playing is a top priorty. First off, where is my money going to come from? Who are the worst players, how big are there stacks, and what sort of mistakes do they make?

If the worst players have big stacks and play loosely, focus on playing big pots against them. Work on setting them up for when you make a great hand. Then make a couple big bets, and get paid off by one of your targets.

If the worst players play weak-tight, play lots of small pots. Make frequent small bets and raises and take advantage of the fact that they fold too much, avoid big pots. Maybe even buy in smaller.
-from NL Hold'em Theory and Practice, David Slansky
After your first few hands, develop a plan, and tailor your plays to help you execute. Look around the table for your victim! I played from 1600-2100 (5 hrs) and jumped up to $780. I noticed I wasn't paying close enough attention to the table, and after dropping down to $748, I decided to stop-atleast for awhile.

I need to develop some time of detailed player category system.
Unfortunately came back on and lost $80 on paired board. What an idiot I am. Of course he had trips, and I didn't outdraw him with my crappy two pair.

ENDING BANKROLL: $640.00
-Braien

Not Looking So Hot

Today I played like crap. I need to work on falling into the rythm of the table. If everyone is playing loose and passive, I need to avoid the urge to see a cheap flop along with them, and raise it up. I finally started playing medium pairs a little better and avoided losing big $ with them.

I need to avoid brewing huge pots with decent tight players. I can see their stats, so think harder! No more overcalling on the flop with bottom two pair if they bet $40! Should be an easy fold.

I need to get more aggressive and turn up the heat on my opponents. My adversaries are (correctly) putting me on draws, based on my betting amounts, and just check-call me all the way down with marginal hands.

I tried playing two tables today and as you can see from my ending bankroll, it didn't go over very well. I'm definetly not ready for two tables at the .50/1.00 tables. To properly adjust, I need to get back to the basics and read more. So much to learn!

Ending Bankroll: $520.00
-Braien

Tools of the Trade

Today I installed the necessary tools for internet players. Any serious playe, IMO, uses Poker Tracker. Using Poker Tracker with Game Time+ is definetly the way to go. I can't begin to tell you the advantages it gives you over your opponents. Eventually, when my player database gets big enough, I'm going to use a table selection program as well. If I want to do this for a living some day, I need to stack the deck in my favor.

In the spirit of self-improvement, here are my goals for further "high-tech" development.
1. Understand the auto-rate rules in detail.
2. Memorize the stats that GameTime+ uses and use it to define each player. I want to be able to paint a complete portrait of each player from what these lovely stats tell me.
3. By the beginning of March, I want to be properly using the table-selection tools (such as Sixth Sense or Spade Eye).

Wow! What a big difference GameTime+ and Poker Tracker make. At one point today, I was up to $330 at the table (sat down with $100). But, I didn't learn from the day before and lost almost $90 with pocket jacks. I need to relax with the pairs, they're costing me too much in the long run. I'm very happy with the progress I've made so far and look forward to playing more than one table at a time. With the stat overlays, "reading people" requires much less attention.

Ending Bankroll: $638.00
-Braien