It's All Happening

A lot of poker related stuff happened this week - almost none of it good :( Got the opportunity to play live at the Crown in Melbourne two nights this week - Tuesday was awful, down $250 at 1/2nl, just couldnt hit a barn, and when I did it was always second best hand. Notable hands included AdQd raised 6x BB, called by Th5h, of course the turn made the heart flush. Also raised 77 in late position, got called by the SB, the board comes KKK, of course the SB called with KJo.

Wednesday I made most of it back but had an unfortunate incident where the dealer took my cards (I had KK) after hours of playing trash - talked this one to death over at +1, so I wont go over it here - only myself to blame really, tought me a good lesson.

Online - a good few sessions then a disaster half hour where I dropped four buyins, including KK against AA, but also some other coolers and to be fair some bad play. I didn't really want this post to be one big bleat so wont give the hand by hand blow.

Still feels like I'm spinning my wheels a bit though - I've been saying to Rob that at least I feel mentally strong even when taking the losses, but the 4 buyin slump did hit me a bit. Rob's point is why is it that when playing solid poker you always seem to lose the big pots and not the small ones - I've been countering that with PT stats, trying to prove that the suckouts only occur in the big pots because often solid aggressive play forces opps to fold - hence you win a lot of small pots but the big ones that go to the river - by definition if the suckout happens there the pot will be larger. I have 17k hands at 25 or 50nl 6max, and the trends seem to bear that out.

Despite that though, it's tough to grind it out for weeks and then see all that progress vanish in one short session. I know dealing with that is part of playing poker - doesn't make it easier in the short term though.

Quiet Week

Not much happening poker wise for me this week as I was away for work for most of it. Only item of note was jumping into a $1 MTT on Stars when I was tired on Friday night - felt like playing but I knew I wasnt focused enough to play A game so I just thought hell, for a dollar I'll get some play and have some fun for a hour before I bust out. 639 started.

Three and a half hours later I bust in 26th ... for the grand total of $2.82 ... lol. Kinda furstrating actually because I got so close to where the money would have been a great return on $1. Still I was lucky to get that far, I had junk almost all night and there were a heap of calling stations, so I couldnt see the opportunity to steal any blinds or pick up small pots. Hence I was short stacked most of the time. Where I got lucky was when it was just into the money and I think I open jammed with QQ UTG with an M of about 4.5, hoping to represent a wide range of starting hands. Got called by the chipleader in the SB who showed AA! I got lucky though and flopped the Q to double up. Amazingly though the villian in my hand got all in again next hand, this time three way, and again showed AA ...this time it held up and he regained all his chips plus more.

I eventually went out with 88, got called with KQo and of course the K came on the river.