Tuesday, March 30, 2010

March 2010 summary

Coming into March I'd hit a 500BB downswing for the year. Things were looking fairly nasty.

By the end of March, i've made 180BBs of that back, plus a chunk of rakeback to actually put me in front overall for the year, and my bankroll back to an equal all time high.

Quite a relief really, albeit with the month ending with several frustrating sessions that didn't run as well as i'd have hoped. Having found some very fishy opponents, I not being able to take any of their bankroll, and often they ended up taking a chunk of mine.

For March the goals in order of priority were:

• Clear a chunk of the newest Cake reload (cleared about $70 only .. but better than nothing)
• Qualify for the Cake and Fulltilt freerolls (qualified)
• Play the February Cake and Fulltilt freerolls (played with one min cash from memory)
• Make a profit on the tables would be nice ... (solid profit, running at about 3BB/100)

The profit of $1200 for the month was made up of:

Bonuses / VIP / Rakeback: $ 310

• Bodog $100
• Cake $130
• Fulltilt $80

Poker bankroll Interest: $90

Poker profits: $800

Goals for April are:

• Clear a chunk more of the Cake reload
• Qualify for the Cake freeroll
• Play the March Cake and Fulltilt freerolls
• Clear some more bodog reload bonus
• Clear my Party bonus

Current bankroll: $24,700

March time played: 26.8h
March hands played: 5,936
March profit / (loss): $1200

Sunday, March 28, 2010

Quiet weekend

Baby stuff (natal class) and family stuff took up almost the whole weekend, and with the AFL starting this week, poker really took a back seat.

Several short sessions saw me up $50, down $200, and finishing about where I started with the main area of pain being AA, which lost 3 times out of 3. Several very large pots went down when I lost my TPTK to sets, and the one time I flop a set, villain hits a runner, runner gutshot straight. argh. Coming out even was a bit of a relief in the end though, compared to where I was at one stage. At least I was able to find several fishy tables to play on.

Current bankroll: $24,700
March time played: 24.6h
March hands played: 5,322
March profit / (loss): $1,200

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Equal to an all time peak

This month continues to run well, with my bankroll getting back to equal an all time high for me, which I last hit early January. Bit of a relief really, as the confidence had been given a fair shake at the bottom point of my downswing.

Interestingly with this month running quite well i've been unable to find any decent $4/8 tables, and only one very short $5/10 session towards the start of the month. Maybe I am more successful at the lower limits? ... will have to check my stats later on, although I know $3/6 has been my sweet spot for a while without even looking.

Current bankroll: $24,700
March time played: 22.4h
March hands played: 4,489
March profit / (loss): $1,200

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Cake continues to run well

It appears that for me, the Cake glitches have ceased (touch wood). Since my last dummy spit with them, and a software update or two, it has been running without fault. It's also meant that whilst i've been dropping a few BBs on party (I am going to need to deposit), i've been more than offsetting that with another decent run on Cake. (I am going to need to withdraw).

In almost an hour last night I made a few BBs here and there. Flipped through a lot of tables trying to find the fish but it was a bit of a struggle. I ended up on one table with a tag on my right, and two huge fish on his right. I suspect that is still a profitable position, but not ideal, so as soon as one of the fish ran out of cash I quit that table. After that the tables gradually tightened up further, until it was no longer worth playing any of them. Its a real pain that when I get home from work here, it is perfectly off peak time for poker and there are the least possible tables running.

Current bankroll: $24,650
March time played: 21.1h
March hands played: 4,440
March profit / (loss): $1,150

Monday, March 22, 2010

Party bonus

Logged into my Party account the other night to play a few hands to ensure my account doesn't go inactive, and saw that I had a $50 bonus which clears at 5 points per $. This is a 40% rakeback equivalent, so not too bad, and i'll probably clear it when I can't find tables running on my other sites.

That being said, I started poorly, running my flopped set of Ts on a 4 way capped preflop pot, into an open ender which completed on the turn to see me drop quite a few BBs. I only had a couple hundred on Party, so I may need to make a deposit just to clear a $50 bonus. Annoying.

Got my rakeback credit from Bodog, and won a few BBs there to make up for my Party losses. Again I was actually up a couple hundred before dropping back towards the end of my session. No real reason for it, just whiffed several flops in succession across several tables which inevitably puts a bit of a dent in the session results.

Current bankroll: $24,600
March time played: 20.2h
March hands played: 4,158
March profit / (loss): $1,100

Sunday, March 21, 2010

Sometimes I can't add up

I was just getting ready to fire off an email to Bodog as to why I hadn't received my monthly reload bonus, and was grabbing screenshots etc of transactions to prove I was eligible, and that it should have come through by now. I was about to hit send when I thought to myself, hang on, their reload bonus pays out every 30 days. My last reload was 21 February. Therefore at 21 March, that is only 28 days since 21 February, and not 30, so my bonus is not even due. Luckily I didnt' send it, although at least it was going to be a polite email. Sending abuse to someone who is giving you bonus money is never a good strategy, and i'd advise against it.

Put in a few solid sessions over the weekend, which started better than they finished. Down early about 20BBs on a $1/2 table, but at the same time up 40BBs on a $2/4 table had me looking pretty good and the bankroll almost back up to an all time high. After that I had several break even sessions, so that should at least generate some rakeback

However, the last session of the weekend went poorly from hand one, with AA cracked by 83o and saw me drop back about $100 for the session.

I also played in the Cake freeroll, and busted out relatively early when my AKs ran into 96o on a 6 high flop which gave me the flush draw and two over cards. I check/raised all in and the 96 guy called me. No help on the turn and river and I'm out. Would have been good to double up there as it would have given me a decent chance in the tourney.

Current bankroll: $24,550
March time played: 19h
March hands played: 3,878
March profit / (loss): $1,050

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Poker v Life

Where does poker rank in terms of your priorities?

For me, although I still enjoy it a lot, I don't think it ranks all that highly in the scheme of things. Perhaps in front of watching TV if its not a show i'm highly interested in, but behind a lot of other stuff. Online poker in particular tends to be quite isolating, so I generally only try to play when my wife is off doing something of her own.

It has also been pretty warm here the last few days, so the choice when I get home from work is to either a) fire up poker while the missus is exercising or doing her own thing, or b) jump in the pool. With the warm weather coming to an end fairly soon, option b) has tended to win lately, so relatively little poker has been played.

That being said, I still got in half an hour last night and went on a super hot run, gaining about 70BBs across four tables. A fair chunk of it was only at $1/2 as I couldn't find many loose tables at higher stakes, but nonetheless it was good to see flops hitting me hard left and right. Add to that some super aggro fish who were more than happy to 3 bet preflop with 72o and then bet every street, so calling down with any pair was also profitable.

My favourite hand was when I had QJo in MP and raised and got three bet by the big blind. Flop of AKTr was superb, followed by a 9 turn, where the betting got capped. River was an ugly Q so I figured I was now splitting the pot, but I got called down By A6o (the guy who 3 bet preflop) and KTo. Nice.

Current bankroll: $24,500
March time played: 15h
March hands played: 2,941
March profit / (loss): $1,000

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

2010 year to date stats check

Hands: 17,298
Hours: 73.55
Table $ losses: ($1,201) (ouch)
Table BB losses: 411
BB/100: (2.39) (double ouch)
Total raked: $2,313

rakeback, bonuses and interest: $1,400 (thanks mainly to rakeback. Couldn't play without it!)

Net poker profits for 2010 to date: $200 (yep .. that's an earn rate of $3/hr ... although better than the losing rate it has been at when my BB losses peaked at -480)

Currently winning at $3/6 to the tune of about $1,200 over 4.5k hands, but losing at every other level from $1/2 to $5/10. $2/4 has been particularly punishing this year so far, with losses of almost $950.

So far, a pretty poor run for the year, to say the least... Hopefully in six months time, it will be a distant memory.

Monday, March 15, 2010

In front for 2010

Well, it has taken a while but finally i'm back in front again for 2010. Hopefully it can stay that way. I should really check my overall stats, as i'd still be way down in terms of BB/100 - most likely still over 400BBs down, but thanks to rakeback and bonuses my bankroll is headed in the right direction.

Only played a small session last night, where I won a few $, but also received a couple rakeback credits from the last few weeks, which has boosted the bankroll slightly.

This week is looking like it will be pretty light on for volume again, although I may find a few hours on the weekend with any luck.

Current bankroll: $24,250
March time played: 14.5h
March hands played: 2,786
March profit / (loss): $750

Sunday, March 14, 2010

FT freeroll

Played in my affiliate FT freeroll and had the chance to do well, even though I had to get ready for work at the same time, and potentially cut my tourney short when I had to leave for work. However, it didn't get that far.

I had a superhot start, receiving premium cards regularly, doubling up early with a flopped set, followed up fairly closely with the muppet on my right doubling me again, when after starting extremely tight, he decided to go all in every hand. He doubled about three times in a row with trash but his 64o was no match for my AQo where we both whiffed the whole board.

After that, card dead for an hour or more, and held my stack through blind stealing alone, and one resteal for a substantial amount. The bubble came and went with me sitting on a slighly above average stack. Finally I received a hand - AKo with a short stack min raising in front so I just pushed in and got called by 66. No help for me and i'm now a little under an average stack. Very next hand QQ, and I raise 3xBB and get three bet by the button. I shove, and he insta calls with AKo. Flop JT7r, turn 3, river Q and i'm out for not much more than a min cash.

I actually quite enjoyed the tourney though, I think mainly as its a bit of a change up from cash games, and that's all i've been playing lately. Annoyingly it looks like my tourney's are starting at 5.30am my time now .. and will only get worse when daylight savings ends. That's when it is much easier to just stay in bed ....

Didn't have much time for cash games over the weekend, and only really played a few hands whilst playing my tournament. I ended up doing a few other things at the same time so the cash games got the chop early after only 50 hands or so.

Current bankroll: $24,100
March time played: 14h
March hands played: 2,659
March profit / (loss): $600

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Fulltilt bonus complete

Finished my Fulltilt bonus last night, so will be back to Cake, bodog, pacific etc for a while until I get a new bonus. Also withdrew a chunk of my bankroll from Fulltilt as there's no point in leaving that much there where i'm only going to play a limited amount. Left enough to have a table or two running though, just in case.

I also ran into a several huge muppets last night on Cake, who were killing me early and put me down 40BBs at $3/6 in quick time - 84o > AA etc etc. I slowly recovered most of it, and bonuses put me almost back to even for the session. I probably would have stayed longer but the muppet sitting on my direct right on one table disappeared, so the table was not worth continuing at and I quit at the next big blind.

Left my PC doing database mainentenance so won't have my stats until tomorrow in terms of hours and hands played.

Current bankroll: $24,000
March time played: 13.5h
March hands played: 2,607
March profit / (loss): $500

Monday, March 8, 2010

Solid long weekend sessions

I played a little more poker than I thought I would over the weekend, and it generally ran successfully with several poor tables at the lower limits being more than offset by a super hot run on the $3/6 tables.

I ended up having a lot of smallish sessions which resulted in 10 - 20BB gains mainly from a number of fish who decided not to suck out on me. In fact it was almost the opposite, with me hitting hands quite regularly, and even when I whiffed my flush draw in one hand when I held Ad2d and flopped the draw, runner, runner 2s still won me the hand.

I was also successfuly against some real aggro muppets, who were seeing approximately 70% of flops and betting out on most streets consistently. It was worthwhile calling down with almost any pair, as several times I saw them bet every street and flip over something like 53o or 62o on the river after a flop of AKTr.

I've almost finished my Fulltilt bonus, so I'll need to wait for another bonus there before returning in a hurry. Although if I cant find any other sites worth playing I may play there some just for the rakeback if tables are super fishy. The Cake bonus on the other hand, is clearing extremely slowly, so I'm guessing its going to take me the next couple months and more to clear it all. It may even expire not completely cleared, but that's not a problem as it's paid out in $10 chunks.

Current bankroll: $24,050
March time played: 11h
March hands played: 2,130
March profit / (loss): $550

Thursday, March 4, 2010

Clearing strategy for the month

Could not find tables worth playing on last night and ended up playing about 20 hands in total. Hit a couple nice flops though and made about 10BBs so can't really complain.

I've got about $20 of my Fulltilt bonus to clear, and about $270 remaining of my Cake bonus. Fulltilt expires around the 25th, so there's no real rush to clear that as it won't take long. Cake expires in a little under 3 months, so no pressure to clear that either.

However, to maximise my bonuses and table selection, I will start opening Cake first and try to find fishy tables there before opening Fulltilt. That way I can stretch out my Fulltilt bonus for as long as possible whilst still clearing away on cake. Not really rocket science, but I figure that will give me the best use of my time.

Not sure how much play i'll get in this weekend - there's a fair chance of not much, although the weather is looking pretty crappy so you never know.

Current bankroll: $23,600
March time played: 4.8h
March hands played: 1,080
March profit / (loss): $100

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

A better session

Had to go home early for a security door to be fitted, so took the opportunity to hit the tables.

Although there weren't a whole lot of good tables available I found one with a 100% vpip fish who was sucking out left, right and centre of the whole table. He built up a good 40BB profit within about 40 hands when I hadn't won a single hand which was starting to get annoying, before he quickly blew the lot to everyone else on the table .. which was even more annoying.

A couple other tables fared a lot better though, where on one I scored bullets twice in a row and the same opponent check/raised and called me down to the river, which was nice of him when he didn't even have a pair or a draw. That one table alone donated me a good 30BBs which put me well up for the session.

Not huge in volume terms as I only really had two tables open at best, but at least i'm back in front for the month for the time being. (still actually down in BB/100 terms)

Current bankroll: $23,550
March time played: 4.5h
March hands played: 1,056
March profit / (loss): $50

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

A sign of things to come?

$2/$4 Limit Holdem
6 Players

Stacks:
UTG $83
UTG+1 $143
CO $62.56 (not a bad player)
BTN $83.50
Hero (SB) $95
BB $221.49 (bit of a moron)

Pre-Flop: (1.5 SB, 6 players) Hero is SB Ad Ah (awesome to get early in a session)
2 folds, CO raises, 1 fold, Hero 3-bets, BB 4-bets, CO calls, Hero calls (4 bet from the BB I guess means a big pair)

Flop: 9h As 3s (12.0 SB, 3 players) (awesome flop for me - only really looking average against an unlikely KsQs)
Hero checks, BB bets, CO folds, Hero calls (decided to wait for the turn to c/r - I would often just raise here, but not always)

Turn: Qh (7.0 BB, 2 players)
Hero checks, BB bets, Hero raises, BB calls (nice card for me - set of Qs would be great)

River: Th (11.0 BB, 2 players)
Hero bets, BB raises, Hero 3-bets, BB 4-bets, Hero calls (surely not KhJh? Feelin sick at the cap)

Final Pot: 19.0 BB
Hero shows ThreeOfAKind
Ad Ah
BB shows Flush, Queen high
4h 8h (ummm)

BB wins 18.2 BB (net +9.8 BB)
Hero lost 8.5 BB
CO lost 2.0 BB

After that I actually won back a chunk, and went up a couple hundred, before not managing to win a showdown in the space of 100 hands which dropped me back down $100 all up.

Still waiting for a turnaround as i'm winning well under 50% of showdowns.

Current bankroll: $23,400
March time played: 2.5h
March hands played: 815
March profit / (loss): ($100 )