February Results.

Busted in all 3 freerolls again (0-13 now) like a donkey I got close to the money then lost several allins in a row (you know, KKvTT AIPF etc.). Lost all my MTTs too like a fish (you know, top set vs flush draw etc.), but I went 16-4 in the $5.75 Deep S&Gs to be positive in tourneys for the month. I was actually massively distracted when 10-tabling (7 heads-up), I was using all my focus on a stupid $5.50 Stud MTT, remembering cards etc. No more Stud when 6+ tables.

I earned 22,899 VPP in February and am at 42,611 for the year. February was just a minor setback and better months are ahead.

February: ~$1,800.
January: ~$3,400.

Little winnings?

Full results and monthly totals update coming tomorrow after the month officially ends. I hope to finally cash in one of those freerolls as I am about 0-10 this year in them.

At FTP this month I made about $338 this month which includes rakeback over 10 hours and 6500 hands. I also lost a $1073 stake for the 3 FTOPs tourneys which lasted about 5 hours.

At PS I made about $873 in the NLHE ring games over about 95 hours and 107,000 hands. Although I ran average at least in terms of allin EV (see graph and chart below), I think I ran poorly overall. I accumulated about 80,000 FPP (value $1,200-$1,280) but it was a disappointing month overall. I also got the $250 bonus this month.

I didn't play much of anything besides NLHE ring, mostly taking a break from MTTs, SNGs and other forms of poker. Over 4 MTTs/SNGs for the month I am at -$16, but I am going to play a bunch of them tomorrow.

However, I did have an extraordinary 30 minute session of two-tabling $5/$10 H/L Stud where the games were super juicy. In 60 hands I made about $357. I rivered 2 wheels for 3-way scoops, was rolled up 3 times (won 1.5 of them, the losing hand history is below which illustrates the softness of the lineup), and started with AAx 4 times (won 2.5 of them). I am not going to do a repeat of last August when I had a heater in this level and then 2 days later I had a huge losing session at $30/$60 H/L Stud.

PokerStars Game #25431855840: 7 Card Stud Hi/Lo Limit ($5/$10) - 2009/02/27 23:05:59 ETTable 'Periphas III' 8-maxSeat 1: btrain7 ($112.50 in chips) Seat 2: biz58 ($131.50 in chips) Seat 3: Snow Leopard ($131.25 in chips) Seat 4: dobieatwar ($473.75 in chips) Seat 6: luckbuck1024 ($178 in chips) Seat 7: Herbert761 ($242.25 in chips) Seat 8: SCIPIO A ($156.50 in chips) btrain7: posts the ante $0.50biz58: posts the ante $0.50Snow Leopard: posts the ante $0.50dobieatwar: posts the ante $0.50luckbuck1024: posts the ante $0.50Herbert761: posts the ante $0.50SCIPIO A: posts the ante $0.50*** 3rd STREET ***Dealt to btrain7 [Jh]Dealt to biz58 [9h]Dealt to Snow Leopard [9d]Dealt to dobieatwar [8d 8h 8s]Dealt to luckbuck1024 [4s]Dealt to Herbert761 [8c]Dealt to SCIPIO A [7d]luckbuck1024: brings in for $2Herbert761: folds SCIPIO A: folds btrain7: calls $2biz58: calls $2Snow Leopard: folds dobieatwar: raises $3 to $5luckbuck1024: calls $3btrain7: calls $3LPGAfan has returnedbiz58: calls $3*** 4th STREET ***Dealt to btrain7 [Jh] [5s]Dealt to biz58 [9h] [Td]Dealt to dobieatwar [8d 8h 8s] [Ah]Dealt to luckbuck1024 [4s] [5h]dobieatwar: bets $5luckbuck1024: calls $5btrain7: folds biz58: calls $5*** 5th STREET ***Dealt to biz58 [9h Td] [Kd]Dealt to dobieatwar [8d 8h 8s Ah] [4d]Dealt to luckbuck1024 [4s 5h] [6h]dobieatwar: bets $10luckbuck1024: calls $10biz58: calls $10*** 6th STREET ***Dealt to biz58 [9h Td Kd] [Ac]Dealt to dobieatwar [8d 8h 8s Ah 4d] [2h]Dealt to luckbuck1024 [4s 5h 6h] [Kh]biz58: checks dobieatwar: bets $10luckbuck1024: calls $10biz58: calls $10*** RIVER ***Dealt to dobieatwar [8d 8h 8s Ah 4d 2h] [Qc]biz58: bets $10Herbert761 is sitting outdobieatwar: calls $10luckbuck1024: calls $10*** SHOW DOWN ***biz58: shows [Ad Qs 9h Td Kd Ac As] (HI: three of a kind, Aces)dobieatwar: mucks hand luckbuck1024: mucks hand biz58 collected $125.50 from potNo low hand qualified*** SUMMARY ***Total pot $128.50 Rake $3 Seat 1: btrain7 folded on the 4th StreetSeat 2: biz58 showed [Ad Qs 9h Td Kd Ac As] and won ($125.50) with HI: three of a kind, AcesSeat 3: Snow Leopard folded on the 3rd Street (didn't bet)Seat 4: dobieatwar mucked [8d 8h 8s Ah 4d 2h Qc]Seat 6: luckbuck1024 mucked [5c Kc 4s 5h 6h Kh 4h]Seat 7: Herbert761 folded on the 3rd Street (didn't bet)Seat 8: SCIPIO A folded on the 3rd Street (didn't bet)

Getting Aggravated!

One outer for $120 allin on the turn (flopped set over set) 2.3%. http://www.cardschat.com/hand/6789 GRRRrrr

As mentioned earlier this month I am missing 54 AA starting hands.

Then in the last 4 days I have had KKvAA, 5 times (+ possibly 4 more times when I folded on the flop or turn), and only had AAvKK once?

Will post the monthly results tomorrow after the tournaments. I am going to play MTTs the last Saturday of each month coinciding with the 3 freerolls 20k, 50k, 100k (30k ,75k, 100k starting next month).

Three retards?

Or maybe just one - me!

HOLD'EM NO LIMIT ($0.25/$0.50) - 9-max
Seat 4 (BTN) has the button.
SB posts small blind [$0.25]
BB posts big blind [$0.50]
Seat 2 : Hero with $19.05.
Seat 4 : BTN with $36.25.
Seat 5 : SB with $22.85.
Seat 6 : BB with $20.00.
Seat 7 : UTG with $21.05.
** Dealing hole cards **
Dealt to Hero :
UTG calls [$0.50]
Hero raises $0.50 to $1
BTN raises $0.50 to $1.50
SB calls [$1.25]
BB calls [$1]
UTG calls [$1]
Hero calls [$0.50]
** Dealing Flop ** [Potsize: $7.5]
SB: checks
BB bets [$0.50]
UTG calls [$0.50]
Hero calls [$0.50]
BTN calls [$0.50]
SB calls [$0.50]
** Dealing Turn ** [Potsize: $10]
SB: checks
BB: checks
UTG bets [$5]
Hero: folds
BTN raises $11.50 to $16.50
SB calls [$16.50]
BB: folds
UTG calls [$11.50]
Thought I made a good laydown after that turn action.
** Dealing River ** [Potsize: $59.5]
SB: checks
UTG: checks
BTN: checks
** Showdown **
SB shows a pair of Eights:
UTG doesn't show. UTG mucked :
BTN shows two pair, Kings and Eights:
BTN collected $57.50 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot $59.50 Rake $2
Board [Jc 8c 8d Kc 4s]

Coincidence.

Coincidence is God's way of remaining anonymous --Einstein.

I heard that quote on the TV show House on Monday night and it made me think about some of the more remote coincidences that have happened in my life (unrelated to poker). Although I am agnostic, I just wanted to post that to provoke thought.

Well ...

270 hand session of NL($1) at FTP and broke-even (3/9 W$SD).

Got AA 5 times and KK 4 times with little profit.
Doesn't quite make-up for the missing AA on PS ...
AAvAA twice AIPF, once was a freeroll flush draw on the flop for $102 but I couldn't hit it.
-----------------------------------------------------------
Also, thanks for the comments by GoldSeraph about going back to full ring full stacked, and to Lorin Yelle about playing less tables, as I implemented both of those suggestions with some success (lol 2,000 hands sample size).

Redemption at NL($0.50)?

Ok, I am done with NL($0.50)(6-max) for the month. I will probably go back for some full ring, or play some other levels. Here are the interesting tidbits in addition to the screenshot below:

9 days played. (53 hours)
63,318 hands. (1,200 hands/hour)
56 missing AA.
$198 below allin EV.
$1,540 rake. ($2,486 MGR)
11,493 VPP (10,311+1,182).
40,225 FPP ($603-$643 in value).
24.2%-25.8% rakeback rate.
$25 profit. $11.80/hour aggregate hourly ($628/53) :(

Interesting losing hand: http://www.cardschat.com/hand/6672
I wanted to fold the river, but I couldn't because of the line I took.

Interesting winning hand: http://www.cardschat.com/hand/6673
I figured the overaggro had me, but I was pot committed and wrong.

Something is wrong.

Since 2/7/09, over 8 playing days with one day off, I played 60k hands of NL($0.50)(6-max). I am missing $225 of allin EV, I am missing 54 pairs of aces!! (and 12/38 times in the BB I got a walk, which also seems too high), and there seems to be some invisible resistance level preventing me from making any profit on the graph below. I will let the pictures below tell the rest of the story, where I lost $186 and paid $1457 in rake.

I tried short, medium, and full stacking - nothing is working.

Either:
1) The games are unbeatable now.
2) I got worse at poker.
3) Small sample size, bad run?
4) Rigged doomswitch.

I need some time off.

This is an interim update until I get even at this limit or give up.

Cleared $250 bonus.

I cleared the $250 bonus finally after 4 days. I still have a vendetta against NL($0.50)(6-max). Down $155 over 51k hands over 7 days.

Here is an update on the AA situation. ... we are up to 47 missing (231 expected). At what point is it statistically significant?

I can only imagine if I had AA 47 more times, which is worth an average of~$3.50 each time, I wouldn't still be stuck at this limit for the month.

I haven't decided yet about buying the 100k FPP $1,500 bonus, or waiting for the 250k FPP $4,000 bonus (for and extra hundred in value).

FTOPS XI: $322 Razz.

Busto #3. 353/571. There was an ~70% chance for me to busto all 3 events, (.892)(.886)(.888), but I am quite disappointed.

I had a real bad table draw to start with (I doubt anyone at my starting table will make the money because we were just pushing chips back and forth for 1.5 hours.)
I also took 2 bad beats for about T2000 each:
76321x-x vs 76542x-3, and
345 allin on third vs A6T.

Sorry to my staker.

AA.

24 missing so far, over the last 4 days (120 expected).

I suppose I was fortunate to withdraw 2 days ago although the check has not come yet, as I deposited for the $250 reload bonus today.

FTOPS XI: $535 HORSE.

Close but no cigar. 96th place, where 80/703 paid.

Got 1 bad beat, made 1 bad play, and I got bluffed once for T8500 which hurt pretty bad. Rounds Won: 2/4 H, 1/4 O, 1/4 R, 2/3 S, 1/3 E. I lost the most chips in Omaha, and won the most in Stud H/L. In the end I was real low on chips and I got eliminated in the Razz round allin on 4th street as a ~2-1 dog.

A Long Road Ahead.

I continued with my attempt to "get even" at PokerStars NL($0.50)(6-max) for the month. It wasn't promising. I am at 22k hands over the last 3 days at that limit and at -$350. I had my worst session ever last night: 5k hands, -$210(21 short stacks). I seem to be running bad in every possible way, (1) ~$100 below allin EV, (2) 10 AA less than expectation, (3) cold decked by flopping 2 pair vs straight/flush, or overpair vs trips where unavoidable to lose a short stack, (4) running my JJ, QQ, KK, AK into AA often.

Made a withdrawal and then played an $11 HU S&G for a break and to get to 100,000 FPP to buy the $1500 bonus (with an annoying 10,500 VPP requirement to clear). The S&G player was super bad, but beat me T6vKT all in on a KT6 flop when he peeled a 6 on the turn (8%) Phil Gordon style (can't find the link to the video of Black Goblin vs. Phil Gordon heads-up). That was for T2500, and I was already tired so I pushed JTs the next hand over his button limp and figured it was a 60/40 or a flip, but instead he called with 87o and I was actually a 2-1 favorite and lost that too. I have a long road ahead of playing NL($0.50)(6-max) unfortunately.

That will have to wait. I am playing in the $535 HORSE tonight at FTP and plan on playing perfect poker and thinking about 1st place.

Losing faith.

Was running bad the last 2 days so I moved down to NL($0.50)(6-max). I played pretty well ... but not well enough to win. Yesterday I lost 4 full buyins, and was 50 below EV, today I lost 18 short buyins and was 192 below EV.

I am not playing any other level at PS until I am even at NL($0.50)(6-max) for the month. On a lighter note, here was an amusing hand from NL($2) yesterday:

Stacks: MP3 with $208.85 CO with $57.75 BTN with $200.00 SB with $67.50 BB with $237.05 UTG with $171.70 UTG+1 with $69.00 MP1 with $94.55 MP2 with $33.65
Blinds: $1/$2
Dealt to CO:6♣ 3♥
Preflop:
Hero raises $4 to $6
SB calls [$5]
Total folds this street: 7
Potsize: $14
Flop: Q♠ K♣ 6♠
SB: checks
Hero: checks
Potsize: $14
Turn: 3♦
SB bets [$8]
Hero raises $14 to $22
SB raises $39.50 to $61.50 [ all-in ]
Hero calls [$29.75] [ all-in ]
Uncalled bet ($9.75) returned to SB
Potsize: $127.25
River: 7♦
Results: SB shows a pair of Aces: A♦ A♥
Hero shows two pair, Sixes and Threes: 6♣ 3♥
Hero collected $114.50 from pot

FTOPS XI: $216 Stud.

Busted. Of the 19 times I got to 6th street (all heads-up), I won 4.5 pots. I lost with 2 pair three times to a rivered trips or higher 2 pair, flush to quads(no pair showing), and missed my draws and hands where I started with the best hand but had to fold because they hit.

In a tournament like this it doesn't matter how many bets you save by good folds, or how many extra bets you win by thin value, or how bad you outplay someone if you can't win a showdown.