Well sorry I haven't posted for a long time. I really hoped my blog would be a daily journal more than a weekly update but it hasn't been going that way. I really haven't played much poker though anyway. Disappointing but my schedule hasn't really allowed it. On Saturday at K-Mart (refer to last post for info) I finished 3rd out of about 40 people. I cashed for $110 which I decided was decent. I did buy-in 3 times plus an add-on investing $48 into the tourney. At one point I didn't see a single flop for 51 minutes, then proceeded to build my stack from 2,600 to about 14K in about 10 hands, thanks to 2 flopped sets and a flopped 2 pair that turned into a boat. I then didn't see another flop for 1 hr and 19 min. At the final table my tightness worked decently well. I waited for big hands and then pushed and managed to grind my way into third before my AQ ran into AK 3-way. If I could have won that one I am sure I would have taken the tournament. Well I was definitely happy with my performance and only took one bad beat. The last hand of the first hour (rebuy period) I called the big stack's all in move with QQ. He showed KQ and spiked a K on the turn.

As for NL10 on FTP I have played a very minimal amount. Even though I have only played a few hands I am up 2 buy-ins over the past two days. With rakeback I hope to brake into the 30-32 buy in range and keep on pace for moving up before the end of the year. Well I'll keep you guys updated, hopefully more frequently than I have recently.

As a side, wonderful job by Adanthar and guys like apefish at 2+2 on covering the Absolute Scandal. You guys were unbelievable in deciphering the situation and uncovering the truth. Awesome job, and I know I speak for everyone in the poker community in saying that guys like you are great for our game. But for me.....It's Back To The Grind......

Maybe, just maybe things are finally turning around. I just woke up and am getting ready to go to class....Yesterday I played zero hands of NL10 for the first time in several days. The night before I did play several hundred hands and after a while managed to get back into the positive numbers for the month. As the session started, I dropped after the usual beats/coolers but then I flopped a couple nuts straights that actually help up to flopped sets and such. It was quite an unusual feeling as I was always expecting to be outdrawn.

So if I turned it around at the end of the session, why didn't I play yesterday you ask? Well I actually felt like playing a tourney instead. I decided I would try the 22:45 Full Tilt 26$ Token Frenzy tournament. I built up a big stack quickly and basically sat out till the tokens were dished out to the top 44 players. I instantly exchanged my token for the 1:00 24+2 $17,000 Guarantee tournament. I moved up tripling my stack in the first 50 min before losing half of it with AK vs 1010. Then the last hand of the hour (after I had raised 3 outta 4 hands, people were commenting I was on tilt on the chat bar) I moved in with AJ and was called by A6 and 24 (lol). I pushed my stack up to 8600 and it leveled off at about 10K a little after the break. My stack never got much bigger to my dismay. I did make the money finishing 46th and cashing for just a little over 50 dollars. Well pocket change to you guys but 5 buy ins for me. Makes me happy.

Well hopefully I will play plenty of NL10 today in between and after school. No work so I should have a decent amount of free time. I will try to update you guys late tonight.....For now......Back To The Grind...

Wow...the past few days have been the roughest in my poker life. It just seems that I can't stop getting coolered and outdrawn. Of course I might have been able to get away from a few but its just so tough at the time...Others though are purely unexplainable......which leads me to these two hand histories....

WTF???

and...

You Gotta Be Joking

.....After those two hands I still managed to be ahead....This guy dumped 13 buyins in an hour and a half....

The next day I hoped my luck would turn around. I went to a friends house and was convinced to buy-in to a NL50 home game with the 13 dollars I had in my wallet. The table was VERY fishy and I ran it up to 30+ very quickly. Then came the hand that would put my on life tilt. 4 players limped to me on the button and I made a slightly sketchy play. I smoothed called with 99 deciding to go set mining rather than juicing up a big pot and having a tough time figuring out where I stand. I hit a magical flop as the board read 10 9 2. First position (major donk) lead out with a 1.50 bet. 1 caller. I raise 8 dollars more.... The donk moves all in...Fold...I call.... He triumphantly says I got trips.. Oh great major cooler I thought....But Wait!!! He shows 22....
A 60 dollar pot is about to be shoved my way......
Turn: 8
River: 2

Wow..... I didn't say a word.....Sat there quietly..cashed out two hands later with exactly 13 dollars...
When I thought things couldn't get worse they did. This is a tough slump to break out of....

Today was the first tournament of a 16 tournament series held every Saturday known as K-Mart. The tournies are held in a basement with a very mixed crowd normally attracting 40+ players. The buyin is $12 with unlimited rebuys for the first hour and an optional add-on at the end of the hour. 4 of the 12 dollars is put in a pool for the points leaders to play for at a final table after the 16 weeks. I feel I played fairly well despite never going on a real nice run of cards. I was eventually busted 11th out of 43 when my A10 ran into KK.

Tonight I was up a half a buyin on FullTilt. That makes me ahead one buyin in the month of October.....Embarrassing to admit really. Well after some of the hands I've went through I'm just happy to be ahead. Well that's all for now...any words of encouragement would be greatly appreciated (lol).....Back To The Grind

Wow......figures.....I am now down half a buy-in on the month after some ridiculous coolers. I have now slipped 6 buy-ins in about 4 days. Absolutely sick to my stomach. I now feel like I'm playing bad when it seems like I'm not. I played close about 1500 hands today and a friend watch the last several hundred. Many of the hands just left both of us shaking our head. I don't know what to make of any of it. It all started after one round river card....Right after I had put myself in the positive numbers for the day...

Ouch

Then here are some more of my favorites....

One Higher

Are you #$%^@!& kidding me???

Wow

Again?

There are so many more hands where I get outflopped or sucked into a hand where I'm already drawing dead. It is so tough to stay off tilt after that. Well I guess it's back to ground zero for October (well actually below zero). If I'm not up by the end of the month, that's probably a sign that I'm not the poker player I think I am and I better just give up. Or maybe it's just variance, I don't know....Either way it sucks....All I know is I'm gonna play through this, not take a break, I am better than this.....I'll keep you informed, hopefully tomorrow....Back to the Grind

I haven't posted for several days now, but I also haven't played a great deal of poker, or at least as much as I'd liked to have. I have dropped a couple buy-ins since I last posted but I'm not greatly disappointed. I am still ahead for the month and my winrate is now back to where it has been for months. My hands have slowed down and today I was especially victim of some ugly boards. Not as many terrible outdraws but more missing flops, and being outflopped. I still feel fine and aside from a few plays my game is not terrible. I'm trying to play the absolute maximum number of hands my schedule will allow this month. I want my rakeback to be huge for October along with my overall winrate. I recently made an account on Red Nines Poker, from the Prima Network. I signed up for rakeback through RaketheRake.com and plan to make a deposit within the next week or two. I really like the site as I have played a few freerolls and played some micro sng's with the winnings. Playing FullTilt NL10 takes so much rake it is tough to build fast. With my FullTilt rakeback though I still plan to move up before the distant future. I feel that once I hit NL25 my game will really take off. The rake will be much less of a factor and hopefully I won't have to deal with the same amount of variance that comes with the calling stations at NL10. I have specifically set goals for myself up to the end of 2008 as far as moving up goes.

By the end of 2007 I want to be 4 tabling NL25 on FullTilt.

By April 2008 I want to have a bankroll ready for NL50.

By August 2008 a bankroll to play NL100.

Finally by the end 2008 NL200.

I understand that these are huge goals for a micro player like myself, but I am confident I can do it. 3-4 months at each level should be enough time to make 20 buy-ins. As long as I keep playing a great amount of time I can only get better. With enough experience and study I have no doubt that I have the potential to be a solid player at any level I play. I'll keep you all updated on the grind, but right now I gotta head to class.....