Hmmmm...

-$1,550.


It's taken me just over three months to write that sentence, but that about sums up my trip to Las Vegas this summer.

Phew. That feels better, like a gigantic monkey off my back. Maybe if I keep saying it I'll feel better.

-$1,550.

-$1,550.

-$1,550.


I'm not going to really harp on it too much more (-$1,550... okay I'm done). I came, I saw, I did not conquer in my first, and maybe only trip to Sin City.

So how did I manage to lose the equivalent of a paycheck and change in Vegas? Let's count the ways...

• I highly underestimated how the time zone jump combined with the 24/7 Vegas lifestyle would affect my play. I found myself playing at all sorts of weird hours. I knew things were bad when I was watching "The Herd" with Colin Cowherd at six in the morning West Coast time and I was already eight hours deep into the session.
• Poker may seem just like riding a bike, but going out there without playing very much the entire calendar year definitely hurt.
• I was uncharacteristically cocky at the table, from what I wore to how I bet. And the Vegas vets ate me up.

But two things--two things that should be easy to fix but always come back to haunt me--ultimately cost me, literally. First, I didn't come equipped with a substantial enough bankroll. Second, despite the fact that I didn't come with a substantial bankroll, I found myself gravitating more to cash games than I did tournaments. This is horrible, not just because I'm ten million times better in a tournament atmosphere, but because I'm impulsive with money. Far too impulsive.

However...

...crazy as it may seem, despite the money lost, despite the number of times I wanted to hurl myself off of the pirate ship at Treasure Island (good accomodations, yes; convenient gaming, no), there were times I felt like I truly belonged.

I'll put it like this: yes I lost money, but there wasn't a single moment out there that I felt outclassed.

I bitch and moan a bunch on this blog and in real life about how awful a poker player I am, and sometimes I believe it, but generally speaking I've always felt like I'm not too far away. Not at all.

Case and point: during my one positive session at the Rio (yeah, it HAD to be the Rio) I netted about $500, which pretty much anybody can do if they sit at a 1/3 table long enough or catch enough good breaks. But, in a week full of sorrow and self-loathing, I did experience possibly my best session ever.

My table included a card dealer; an editor for an upstart poker website; a gentleman straight off of a very strong finish in the Omaha Hi-Low-Split 8 or Better event (by strong I mean top 20); a Swede who was pretty much the epitome of loose-aggressive; and a seasoned vet there for a conference with nothing to lose, probably the most dangerous of the bunch.

I was just in my zone. Folded K's on the turn to a mid-raise. Folded in a set over set situation on a rainbow board. Called someone down with bottom pair for half my stack on a gut reaction. Pushed back against the Swede who was pushing everyone around... with air (okay, that's a normal Justin play).

The poker website guy started calling me, "The Grinder." Eventually everyone, even Mr. "So Close to Final Table I Could Sniff It", followed suit.

"You don't wanna mess with the Grinder. He'll take your stack."

And I did. I sent plenty of people to the rail or to an ATM that night. It was fun, surreal even, like scoring 11 in a game to 16 at Rucker Park.

Of course, the only reason I wasn't more enthused to share this story with the world was because I really should have left that table an hour earlier. Yes, I ended up $500 to the good, but it should have been $1000. Those Swedes are relentless.

But, hey... those are the breaks. Speaking of breaks, I'm currently on a prolonged one... again. As I said, it's been nearly three months since I've played. I still think about cards everyday... mainly why I checked top pair and a flush draw to let a dude catch his runner-runner straight and why I couldn't lay it down (my 2nd to last horrific Vegas hand), or why I couldn't fold K's in the following situation:

1/2, my button. Fold. Limp. Limp. Limp. Limp. Raise to $22 by me. SB calls. BB folds. Four limpers call. Flop comes Q-J-X rainbow. SB leads out for $50. Fold. Fold. Call. Fold. After 2nd to last hand I have $120.

The absolute first thought that popped in my head was that he had a set of Js. His bet was Brunsonesque, true, but even Brunson wouldn't lead out without something real strong into a raiser and five flopheads.

Fold. Fold. Fold. Call? Maybe Q-10 or K-Q but nothing stronger.

Why I didn't go with my first instinct I have no idea... I guess I just wanted to put SB on A-Q, that combined with the fact that I was still tilted after running over the table for the first two hours of the session.

You know how this story ends: SB had a set of Jacks.

And I have ADD. My point is that I still keep poker fresh on my mind, waiting for the days when I can afford to play again... whenever that might be.

A True Hiatus

There's only one quasi-word that can describe my poker play over the last three months...


nonexistent.



Well, almost. A couple of minutes before one of my editing classes I think I sat behind the computer and played play money poker, promptly doubling up my play money chips and then "cashing out".

But, that's been it. Three months, basically nothing. No online. No live (okay, a little NBA Live). I've been virtually poker free for three full months.

Why?

Obviously, I have the whole family obligation thing, that and the fact that my girlfriend isn't too crazy about poker. I've been working full-time and going to school for the first time in my life, and while the class (yes, class singular) that I took didn't have a large workload, I definitely wanted to start my comeback off on a good foot. Also, while I haven't been starving, money has been a little tighter than usual since our department started losing our nice cushy $500 monthly bonuses due to a floundering economy and not so great customer service skills (not me, our department as a whole). These are all legitimate reasons why I haven't played too much poker lately.

But, the funny thing is that stuff like that never stopped me before. There was a time in my life, hell even a few months ago, where I would scrounge up any money I had for a buy-in online or live. Some nights I would win, some nights I would lose, but for me it wasn't really about the money. The challenge of beating the game or beating my opponents was what really goosed me up.

And, I can't really explain why, but right now I just feel my heart isn't into poker right now.

I still love the game. I watched the final table and I thought it was one of the coolest things I've seen: a sold out capacity crowd filled a theatre to watch nine guys play poker. It shows just how far poker has come. I still have dreams of playing in that tournament. Even if I'm the first guy knocked out, just to say that I played in it is something I can always tell my children.

But, for right now, hundreds of dollars later, I'm taking a break, especially from online poker. People who say the online game is shady may be right in some respects, but the fact of the matter is for the average player the quantity of hands played far outweighs and affects the quality of hands played. Your mistakes in live poker become magnified in online poker, and that's pretty much what happened to me.

Even though I'm breaking, I definitely wouldn't mind an occasional live cash game or live tournament, or hell, eventually I might even venture back into online tournaments or sit n gos. I'm looking for better quality, not neccesarily quantity.

Fear not, my friends. Tripset30 will return eventually. Everybody needs a vacation.

Brilliant or Not so Brilliant?

Early in the $23,000 guarantee...



Full Tilt Poker Game #8064980773: $23,000 KO Guarantee (60595668), Table 35 - 30/60 - No Limit Hold'em - 0:37:42 ET - 2008/09/14
Seat 1: socrates555 (988)
Seat 2: Diahouse (3,475)
Seat 3: Revoke36 (2,150)
Seat 4: saleen707 (2,074)
Seat 5: boodeewee99 (6,760)
Seat 6: bigtonyk123 (1,611)
Seat 7: indabiz (3,290)
Seat 8: Tripset30 (3,940)
Seat 9: FR8DOGNV (5,712)
Diahouse posts the small blind of 30
Revoke36 posts the big blind of 60
The button is in seat #1
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to Tripset30 [Ks Kc]
saleen707 calls 60
boodeewee99 raises to 270
bigtonyk123 folds
indabiz has 15 seconds left to act
indabiz folds
Tripset30 has 15 seconds left to act
Tripset30 raises to 645
FR8DOGNV folds
socrates555 folds
Diahouse folds
Revoke36 folds
saleen707 folds
boodeewee99 raises to 6,760, and is all in
Tripset30: wow
Tripset30 has 15 seconds left to act
Tripset30 has requested TIME
Tripset30: wow
Tripset30: I fold kings\
Tripset30 folds
Uncalled bet of 6,115 returned to boodeewee99
Revoke36: he's already had AA
boodeewee99 mucks
boodeewee99 wins the pot (1,440)
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 1,440 Rake 0
Seat 1: socrates555 (button) didn't bet (folded)
Seat 2: Diahouse (small blind) folded before the Flop
Seat 3: Revoke36 (big blind) folded before the Flop
Seat 4: saleen707 folded before the Flop
Seat 5: boodeewee99 collected (1,440), mucked
Seat 6: bigtonyk123 didn't bet (folded)
Seat 7: indabiz didn't bet (folded)
Seat 8: Tripset30 folded before the Flop
Seat 9: FR8DOGNV didn't bet (folded)


Against the chip leader, who plays pretty tight... for all my chips... early in the tournament... good or bad fold?

Getting Ready

I've never really tried blogging before a tourney but I guess I'll give it a shot. Whatever works, right?

Tip-off for the $69+$6 $23,000 guarantee is in less than ten minutes. My tourney resume has been fairly decent lately (two out of five cashes) and I'm looking to get another one tonight. So, what's the game plan?

Get my money in good, don't be over-aggressive, have patience, avoid bad luck and big stacks.

Sounds easy. I should be a pro by now.

Seriously though, the biggest thing is that I have to remain focused. I'm beginning to get scary good when I actually hone in and focus on the action around me. No music, no IMs, no Internet. Just poker, baby!

A cash in this tourney would sure be nice... I'll let you know how it turns out.

Great Poker... But Cashing Out????

$700 in two sessions. Not too shabby.

Finished 16th out of 500 in the $77 Knock-out on Full Tilt last night, and followed that up with a win in a $109 sit n go tonight. Cool and all; I'm happy about the results, having put in two very solid sessions. No doubt that reading Gus Hansen's book cover to cover three times has definitely helped my game.

Now, I'm facing a serious dilemna: the cash-out process.

I honestly haven't cashed out since Epassporte left the market unexpectedly in June. And, from my understanding, Full Tilt's check process right now is an utter mess, according to blogger Pokerfarce from the Big Edge Poker Blog team. At first I was like, "Come on, it can't be that bad."

But, I Googled it. Everybody is having problems with their checks. Maybe this is it... maybe the government is officially cracking down on online poker.

That being said, the consensus is that Pokerstars has a pretty good system in place in terms of turning checks around. I'm also trying to semi-launder my money through UB (not actually; I plan on doubling before I cash out).

I don't know though. Even before the demise of Epassporte I had my doubts. Hopefully the government (vote Obama) will come to their senses and realize that poker is nothing like the lottery and that poker is nothing more than playing the stock market with chips and people.

But, hey, at least I'm playing out of my mind, right?

Wow...

Weird couple of poker days. Cashed in the Midnight Madness tourney in 69th place out of 1300 (sounds much better than it was as I only profited $18) and then proceeded to run into every conceivable way you can suck out on a person, some in my favor (A-3 vs. A-K, J-8 vs. J-J was my fav. though) and some against (Q-10 vs. A-A, 4-4 vs. 8-8, K-K vs. 9-8 pissed me off slightly). Whatever, that's the nature of poker. Only one cash tonight, but overall I think it was a down $20 night. I'll take it with all those ridiculous beats.

The reason I'm writing tonight is to actually post something pretty funny. Check out this interview with Daniel Negreanu.

Some people think it's staged, I say it's believeable but I wouldn't be surprised if it was staged... I dunno. But, if I ever got into the world of journalism, I would try to keep myself out of the story... although Daniel did jab him by saying, "Since you're not a player..."

Lemme know...

Shoot Me in the Face

Just a bad poker night. Just horrific.

Heads-up $50+$5 I flop top pair, river two pair and lose to trips in a very well-played match otherwise.

Played awful in the $23,000 guarantee, finishing in the middle of the pack after some idiot calls my raise (makes it worse I was playing premium cards and up) with 9-5 off, spikes two more on the flop and my dumbass pays him off on the river because, well, I hit an ace and I guess I just couldn't put him on a five.

Then, I cash in a $100+$9 sit n'go, which is okay except my computer froze and I got blinded out with $3,000 in chips, one double-up away from being chip leader.

Then in this dumb fucking $50+$5 sit n' go I was the chip leader with six left, dude min. raises, two callers I say fuck it and call with 5-3 off in the BB. I flopped a two piece and led out, initial raiser calls. I check raise the queen all-in on the turn and he calls with J-10, so of course he catches his higher two piece on the river. Two hands later I get knocked out with 8s against A-6.

"Yeah, it's just ten times the blind, I'll call with a bad ace."

I swear to God, aside from the guarantee, I played really well, got my chips in good for the most part, but there's some lucky motherfuckers out there.

I will not let this dumb session deter me, however. I just had to let all that out because if I don't I'm just gonna think about it all night and there's nothing productive about that.

One more time, though: like, seriously, why the fuck would someone risk all their chips with a mediocre ten? Who calls a raise for half their chips pre-flop with A-6 off? Whether a tight player raised or not, who the fuck would call with 9-5 off OUT OF POSITION???? Like... ugh, it's pointless. I'm not saying I've never sucked out before, but come on. Those are three brutal suck-outs!

Makes me want to punch someone in the fucking kidney!













BULLSHIT!!!!

Phil Laak

Phil Laak and I have the same problem.

We're both "pay-off wizards".

On a positive note, I have cashed or won four out of five sit n gos for a total profit of $350. Me likey.

In my latest 3rd place finish I ran into aces in two out of three hands against two different opponents (the first time I flopped a two piece only to get counterfeited), dropping me from chip leader to outtie. Me no likey but anytime I cash is good I guess.

I'm aiming at building enough roll to play in the FTOPS Event #1, which has a $200K guarantee. Will I? Maybe, either that or I'll over-extend myself to play in it. I'd say odds of me playing are at 2-1.

More later.

Sick Calls: One the Good, One the Bad

During my foray back and forth between taking a break and not, I've been thinking a lot about my game and reasons why I've been as inconsistent as I've been. I'm sure there are a ton of reasons, but I think I've stumbled upon a major--and honestly, a should-be obvious--hole in my game.

During my blogging, I constantly mention how "well" I played a hand or how "sick" of a call I made. All well and good; as a matter of fact I have another "sick" one to tell you about in a minute.

But, look back and count how many times I write about "sick" laydowns. Go ahead, I'll wait...

Not very often, right?

When I'm in a marginal situation, for some reason I always take the more aggressive or creative course of action. Top pair with a potential flush or straight out there facing a big bet? More often than not I call. Trips on a paired board against a value bet? I probably call. In big situations more often than not I'm a calling station. When I'm right, I look like a genius. When I'm wrong, I'm an idiot.

Like this one (for some reason my Full Tilt isn't doing it's job and saving my hand histories so I must re-construct): I limp with Q-J off in a six-handed tourney in first position (I know, I know). Four see a flop, comes like Q-5-8, two spades. BB checks to me, I bet like 3/4 of the pot, fold, fold back to the BB. Well, Mr. BB min. raises me.

In hindsight, I definitely could have dipped right there. He could have had anything in the BB. If I had thought about what I was beating, I should have made the easy drop. But, no, I call, for some reason putting him on a draw. Well, a nine hits on the turn. He checks to me again, and I check back.

River is inconsequential. He bets 800 into a 1200 pot. I have about 1450. I had one more chance to get out of this hand with minimal damage, but again, I called. BB shows... pocket fives for a set. Felt like a dumbass.


Now, same tourney. Through some fortunate cards and some rock solid play (my avatar on Full Tilt is now a rock, to me remind me), I get heads-up. Blinds at 100-200 and I guess I have about 6500 to his 9,000. I see 4-6 of diamonds on the button and I limp. BB checks.

Flop comes 4-K-3, two spades. I lead out for 350. He calls. At this point a weak king, a draw or ace high come into my head.

Turn is a jack of spades. He checks to me. Well, if he was on a draw he might have made it. I didn't feel like getting check-raised and getting too much more money into the pot, so I check back.

River is a queen of hearts I believe, and he fires out 900. Wow.

What am I facing? Three overs, a spade draw and maybe a backdoor straight draw. So, to deducing the hand:

• He called the flop. Something about that flop kept him interested.
• Checking the turn is standard, nothing really jumps out about that. Whether or not he hit the turn I expected a check.
• The river bet, however, is weird. If he does have the best hand, I'd figure he'd want value out of it. Granted, my check on the turn indicated weakness, but why put so much money out there?

The reason I made the call is because I kind of generalized him. Tons of online players have a habit of betting hard at a missed draw. That, plus the fact that I just wasn't convinced he caught a queen or a jack on the end, factored into my decision.

He showed 5-7 of hearts.

And, naturally at that point he was crippled. The match ended the next hand when my AK held up against A4.

Man, I gotta learn to make some laydowns...

Somewhat Oldie But Goodie

This clip of Phil Hellmuth and Tom "Durrr" Dwan isn't exactly new, but man... I cannot lie: I love watching Hellmuth blow up.

Phil is right to a certain extent. Dwan shouldn't have put that much money into the pot that early on in the match. Folding pre-flop would have been hard to do but not neccesarily impossible. A smooth call would have been my preferred play there, and then let Hellmuth dictate the play post-flop. Who knows, he might lead out with a post oak bluff, making it cheap enough to see a turn. Or, maybe he even checks the flop feigning weakness, in which case you'd gladly take a free card. I don't know, it's all hearsay, really. I'm not even going to pretend to be the king of "the right play" (which is why I'm probably as up and down as I am).

Dwan trading verbal spars with Hellmuth is funny, too. "That's why you lose money online." Maaaaan... how do you have the balls to say that to a poker legend? I love it!

I wonder if they ever played those heads-up matches...

Tourney Monster

So, encouraged by my success in Atlantic City, I took the plunge and quit my job at Lowe's and am now a full-fledged sit-n-go/tournament poker player.



Glad that got your attention. Welcome back.

My statement is only half true. As optimistic as I am, I'm also not an idiot and don't plan on making poker a full-time endeavor anytime soon. However, I am off the cash game circuit... for now.

I feel like I'm a much better tournament/sit-n-go player than I am a cash game player. Granted, I do play tournaments--especially in the middle and end portions---with a cash game mentality, but I like tourneys a lot more. I feel like it caters to my style of play a little more.

Since I made the switch, I've had pretty good results, cashing at a rate of around 45%. The tournaments I do get bounced from I'd say more often than not I fell victim to the Pokerstars "Let's advance the tourney by bad-beating the short stacks" policy.

Honestly, I can't take all the credit. I think one of the biggest reasons for my jump in quality play (aside from having good cards to play with, lol) is Gus Hansen's new book Every Hand Revealed. People say he makes some absolutely ridiculous plays at the table, but, um, last I checked his resume is quite impressive. Regardless, he finally opens up on the logic behind his mind-games. Even if you're rock solid and have no use for wanting to be like Gus (Supaluva187 I'm talking to you) it's still keen insight on how to defend a maniacal behavior as well.

Gotta go. Blogging has contributed to me losing about a third of my stack EARLY in a deep stack tourney. Peace.



As for that tourney... funny I mentioned the Pokerstars policy, because my aces got cracked by pocket eights... no money.

Win in AC

Yesterday and Wednesday were the first time I had back-to-back day offs in almost three weeks, so I decided (with the permission of my girlfriend, of course) that I wanted to go to AC to play in a WSOP satellite. The plan was foolproof... except for the fact that I couldn't find one to play in.

Still, upon reading Bluff magazine I saw the tournament circuit schedule for Atlantic City. I decided I didn't want to do an early one (couldn't get up in time), and I didn't want to do a late one (work tomorrow/today). The 3 pm Caesar's $100-$20 fit my plans perfectly, so I figured I'd go play in that one.

My road-dog Kory and I got on the road at about 11:35, arrived at 2:30, giving me just enough to sign-up for one of those Total Rewards cards, register for the tourney and drain the lizard. At 2:58 I sat down at the table... only to be informed that the field was only going to be 20 players deep. Bummer. I came all the way down to AC for this shit?

Then I thought to myself, "You know what? You're here. This is the first time you've played live poker in almost two and a half months, just use this as a tool to work on your game."

I got off to a real sluggish start, barely amassing any chips by level four when the blinds were 400-800. Then all of the sudden things started to click.

Around that 400-800 level, three people limped into the pot. I looked down at J-10 off in the small blind and complete the blind, and the big blind checks. Flop comes something like Q-8-7. I check. Big blind checks. Seat three, who eventually made it to heads-up, bets like $1200. One call. Two call. THREE calls. I'm getting okay odds to call, $1200 to win $6800, and although I definitely put first position on a decent queen and everyone else on some kind of draw/middle-pairish hand, I figured I'm really trying to as many as nine outs: obviously the nine for the straight, but more importantly the jack or the ten as a scare card to bet the queen out.

Sure enough, the jack pops up. I make a "oh shit, I have it so I'm going to bet a really small amount as to not make it obvious" type of bet that most novices make when they hit a huge hand. Big blind folds. First position, I lie to you not, says, "I can't believe you hit that", and folds. Two more folds and I think I'm on my way to taking this pot, except this one dude calls. Great, now I have to shut it down.

Except from observing him I'd received some quality information. Throughout the tourney, he had been calling and chasing and calling and chasing, once calling big bets against another opponent all the way down to the river with ace-high. He loved to see a river.

The river was a blank, and I just knew my jack was good. I wanted to get value out of it, so I bet $3500. He calls, mucking an eight.

That got me moving. I didn't really get any huge hands but I started small-balling to death, getting opponents to fold to any sort of continuation betting.

However, I did almost make a costly mistake. Sitting with about $65,000 in chips at the $1000-$2000 level, an old man in first position went all-in. He had like $17,500. I looked down at pocket fours, and I really thought he was trying to buy it. Horrible call in retrospect. Even if he is trying to buy-it, I'm almost certainly looking at a coin flip situation, and having worked so hard to get that stack, to risk a third of it on a coin flip is Fisher Price: My First Hold 'Em Tournament material. So, of course I lose when he turns over jacks and the poker gods don't want any part of helping such a donkey.

I was halfway out the door with less than $20,000 when I looked down at J-8 of diamonds in the big blind. Long story short, I flopped middle pair with a diamond draw, dude who I barely had covered pushed, I called, showing an open-ended straight draw, no straight for him and I win.

Then I small-balled my way from $40,000 to almost $80,000, sat for awhile I watched myself make the money (three get paid), got to heads-up when my A-Q out-kicked this Asian dude's A-4, and got down to heads-up.

The guy I played heads-up against was probably the player I was closest to at the table. We started out sitting next to each other, and I watched him do his best Jamie Gold impression, dominating the table from the start. I exploited him for that throughout the final table, letting him be the aggressor and just straight up out-playing him post-flop, calling with positive results on marginal hands, trapping him with the big ones. The last hand was no different, as I had about a 3-1 chip advantage. I had the button and looked down at A-Q off, and I just limped. With the blinds at 2000-4000, he raises, like I knew he would. I immediately re-pop him all-in, and, probably tired from the five-hour long journey, he calls with K-5. Ace-high wins, and, yay, I'm just shy of a grand richer.

That last hand was a testament to my style of play. While pretty much everyone else fizzled down the stretch, I just grinded it out, fought my way out of trouble and came out victorious.

That being said, man, I can't believe I drove all the way up there for that shit.

Pictures on myspace coming soon.

It's Me, Snitches!!!

All of my loyal readers have probably been wondering where the hell I've been. After all, I haven't posted since like January, probably thought I fell off the face of the earth... at least the poker earth.

Truth is, my mind (and bank account) needed a serious break from poker for awhile. I kept saying that I needed a break, so I took one. I'm not gonna lie and say I haven't played at all in five months, but it's been very minimal, maybe a total of like five sessions.

But, I'm back. Since my triumphant return to the felt, I feel a ton more confident in my game. Good results contribute to that warm, fuzzy feeling of course, but even in the sessions I'm losing I feel pretty good. Happy to say that, despite limited sessions, I'm probably having my best poker year. All in all I'd say I'm up somewhere around the $1,000 mark for the year, a good chunk of which has come in the last few days.

I'm seeing things better now, not getting as tunnel-visioned as I had previously. Sure, there are a few instances--like a couple hours ago when I thought I had the nut straight but was felted by, you guessed it, a higher straight--where I lose my head, but for the most part things have been well. I'll probably head up to AC in a couple weeks once I scratch together more of a bankroll (funny, I'm up a G but only have about $500 in my left pocket) to play in some cash games, maybe hit a tourney or two.

I was looking online for the new Gus Hansen commercial, but unfortunately I can't find it so I'll explain the premise. Poker, in it's rawest form, is very much like storytelling, and the object of poker is basically selling your story with as high a succession rate as possible. I think this hand illustrates my point well:

PokerStars Game #17581390396: Hold'em No Limit ($1/$2) - 2008/05/21 - 01:36:43 (ET)Table 'Hermentaria II' 9-max Seat #3 is the buttonSeat 1: my_gem ($702.80 in chips) Seat 2: jigrig08 ($37.15 in chips) Seat 3: khinster ($59.05 in chips) Seat 4: Doikito ($23.75 in chips) Seat 5: mindcirkus ($202.15 in chips) Seat 6: mike8557 ($197 in chips) Seat 7: rouel111 ($164.60 in chips) Seat 8: Tripset30 ($220.75 in chips) Seat 9: ba dum dum ($424.75 in chips) Doikito: posts small blind $1mindcirkus: posts big blind $2
*** HOLE CARDS ***Dealt to Tripset30 [7s 7c]
mike8557: folds rouel111: folds Tripset30: raises $4 to $6ba dum dum: folds my_gem: calls $6 jigrig08: folds khinster: folds Doikito: folds mindcirkus: folds
*** FLOP *** [As Qs Ac]Tripset30: checks my_gem: bets $8Tripset30: calls $8
*** TURN *** [As Qs Ac] [3d]Tripset30: checks my_gem: checks
*** RIVER *** [As Qs Ac 3d] [9s]Tripset30: bets $15my_gem: folds Uncalled bet ($15) returned to Tripset30Tripset30 collected $29.50 from potTripset30: doesn't show hand *** SUMMARY ***Total pot $31 Rake $1.50 Board [As Qs Ac 3d 9s]Seat 1: my_gem folded on the RiverSeat 2: jigrig08 folded before Flop (didn't bet)Seat 3: khinster (button) folded before Flop (didn't bet)Seat 4: Doikito (small blind) folded before FlopSeat 5: mindcirkus (big blind) folded before FlopSeat 6: mike8557 folded before Flop (didn't bet)Seat 7: rouel111 folded before Flop (didn't bet)Seat 8: Tripset30 collected ($29.50)Seat 9: ba dum dum folded before Flop (didn't bet)


Little background: I came to the table with $120, and throughout the session my_gem, a loose aggressive player, had pretty much assumed that I was a pretty straightforward player and had given me entirely too much credit. Of the $240 I profited during this session, $200 of it probably came from him. But, back to the hand.

Obviously he doesn't have an ace or he'd at least call on the river, but this hand makes my point perfectly. I sold him on the fact that I had a hand like A-K or A-J, possibly even A-Q (though I doubt it). Had I continuation bet on the flop, he probably would have read me as weak, because weak players usually don't bet a set on the flop. So, I satisfied him and I check-called the flop, checked the turn because I wanted to continue my "slow play", and then, the kicker, value bet the river. Didn't think for a second he had an ace, so I figured I could get away with such a seemingly by-the-book play.

Did I make him throw away the best of it? Maybe, maybe not. The point is that by selling my story I didn't have to find out.

Good to be back.

Writing in an Effort to Move On...

This hand has been in my head all day, and in order to clear my mind for the upcoming Midnight Madness tourney on Full Tilt, I have to get it off my chest.

$17,000 Guarantee last night. 16 away from the money in an 800 or so person tourney. Blinds 250-500. Did I make the right choice?

Full Tilt Poker Game #4938880384: $17,000 Guarantee (36847476), Table 73 - 250/500 Ante 50 - No Limit Hold'em - 3:29:31 ET - 2008/01/21Seat 1: cp10990 (11,254)Seat 2: TommyC_107 (9,422)Seat 3: BSOX04 (8,116)Seat 4: PSCPRODIGY (15,179)Seat 5: Tripset30 (6,512)Seat 6: IgotdanutsAA (2,274)Seat 7: mauzinho2 (8,432)Seat 8: Veghead9 (7,669)Seat 9: Merrito (11,058)cp10990 antes 50TommyC_107 antes 50BSOX04 antes 50PSCPRODIGY antes 50Tripset30 antes 50IgotdanutsAA antes 50mauzinho2 antes 50Veghead9 antes 50Merrito antes 50Tripset30 posts the small blind of 250IgotdanutsAA posts the big blind of 500The button is in seat #4*** HOLE CARDS ***Dealt to Tripset30 [Kh As]
mauzinho2 folds
Veghead9 folds
Merrito calls 500
cp10990 folds
TommyC_107 folds
BSOX04 has 15 seconds left to actBSOX04 folds
IgotdanutsAA: jesus christ
IgotdanutsAA: my luck
IgotdanutsAA: nice catch
PSCPRODIGY raises to 2,008
Tripset30 raises to 6,462, and is all in
IgotdanutsAA folds
Merrito calls 5,962
PSCPRODIGY has 15 seconds left to act
PSCPRODIGY has requested TIME
PSCPRODIGY raises to 15,129, and is all in
Merrito calls 4,546, and is all in
PSCPRODIGY shows [Qd Qh]
Tripset30 shows [Kh As]
Merrito shows [Ad Ac]

A little background (as the tournament window is open in the background): PSC, the button, had raised pretty much every button, so I felt like I could take a shot there. What I didn't count on was that Merrito would limp with aces. All honesty, I just didn't think he had the creativity to pull such a stunt, especially from middle position.

The only thing I kind of wonder about is what if I had just called PSC there? Does Merrito still re-pop? If he just smooth calls, I get away from that hand on the flop (which came J-10-blank).

Dan Harrington says to fold pretty much anything outside of Ks or As that close to the bubble. I don't know.

All I know is that I got to play for now.

Win Streak?

My last session of 2007 (at least I think it will be) was a pretty profitable one: +$150 playing $.25-$.50.

But, unlike last session, where I needed to hit lucky to come out on top, I had a real, real solid session, almost to the point of flawless. I played close to the vest and whenever there was a big pot, I made sure I was putting my money in with the best of it. My reads were on point and my deductive reasoning was dead-on.

There were three big hands:

PokerStars Game #14206837580: Hold'em No Limit ($0.25/$0.50) - 2007/12/30 - 15:56:12 (ET)Table 'Bishop III' 9-max Seat #7 is the buttonSeat 1: jarrad007 ($48.30 in chips) Seat 2: reda0010 ($10 in chips) Seat 3: SD-native24 ($60.40 in chips) Seat 4: canalla18 ($61.10 in chips) Seat 5: Caillette07 ($3.45 in chips) Seat 6: diablo4824 ($30.10 in chips) Seat 7: CaptainPL ($27.75 in chips) Seat 8: nickianthony ($56.25 in chips) Seat 9: Tripset30 ($47.50 in chips) nickianthony: posts small blind $0.25Tripset30: posts big blind $0.50
*** HOLE CARDS ***Dealt to Tripset30 [Ks Ah]
jarrad007: calls $0.50reda0010: folds SD-native24: calls $0.50canalla18: folds Caillette07: raises $2.95 to $3.45 and is all-indiablo4824: folds CaptainPL: folds nickianthony: folds Tripset30: calls $2.95jarrad007: calls $2.95SD-native24: calls $2.95
*** FLOP *** [Jh As 5s]Tripset30: checks jarrad007: checks SD-native24: bets $2.50Tripset30: raises $4.50 to $7jarrad007: folds SD-native24: calls $4.50
*** TURN *** [Jh As 5s] [Ts]Tripset30: checks SD-native24: bets $10Tripset30: raises $27.05 to $37.05 and is all-inSD-native24: calls $27.05
*** RIVER *** [Jh As 5s Ts] [4s]
*** SHOW DOWN ***Tripset30: shows [Ks Ah] (a flush, Ace high)SD-native24: shows [Th Js] (a flush, Ace high - lower cards)Tripset30 collected $85.80 from side potCaillette07: mucks hand Tripset30 collected $13.35 from main potSD-native24 said, "you are so lucky boy :-)"*** SUMMARY ***Total pot $102.15 Main pot $13.35. Side pot $85.80. Rake $3 Board [Jh As 5s Ts 4s]Seat 1: jarrad007 folded on the FlopSeat 2: reda0010 folded before Flop (didn't bet)Seat 3: SD-native24 showed [Th Js] and lost with a flush, Ace highSeat 4: canalla18 folded before Flop (didn't bet)Seat 5: Caillette07 mucked [Kh Ad]Seat 6: diablo4824 folded before Flop (didn't bet)Seat 7: CaptainPL (button) folded before Flop (didn't bet)Seat 8: nickianthony (small blind) folded before FlopSeat 9: Tripset30 (big blind) showed [Ks Ah] and won ($99.15) with a flush, Ace high

Okay, let me first address SD-native's comment. Maybe I was lucky to hit my flush on the river, but with top pair and the nut flush draw, I don't think I'm going anywhere. Plus, what the hell is he doing calling a check-raise on the flop with middle pair, especially when I'd played maybe 15% of my hands prior to the flop? Come on, now.


PokerStars Game #14207065056: Hold'em No Limit ($0.25/$0.50) - 2007/12/30 - 16:05:41 (ET)Table 'Bishop III' 9-max Seat #7 is the buttonSeat 1: jarrad007 ($43.60 in chips) Seat 2: reda0010 ($9.25 in chips) Seat 3: SD-native24 ($14.75 in chips) Seat 4: canalla18 ($62.55 in chips) Seat 5: ehans21 ($49.25 in chips) Seat 6: diablo4824 ($27.85 in chips) Seat 7: CaptainPL ($28.20 in chips) Seat 8: nickianthony ($58.05 in chips) Seat 9: Tripset30 ($97.85 in chips) nickianthony: posts small blind $0.25Tripset30: posts big blind $0.50
*** HOLE CARDS ***Dealt to Tripset30 [6s 5s]jarrad007: folds reda0010: folds SD-native24: folds canalla18: folds ehans21: folds diablo4824: raises $1.50 to $2CaptainPL: folds nickianthony: folds Tripset30: calls $1.50
*** FLOP *** [3s 4s 5d]Tripset30: checks diablo4824: bets $2Tripset30: raises $4 to $6diablo4824: calls $4
*** TURN *** [3s 4s 5d] [7d]Tripset30: bets $11diablo4824: calls $11
*** RIVER *** [3s 4s 5d 7d] [Qc]Tripset30: bets $9diablo4824: calls $8.85 and is all-in
*** SHOW DOWN ***Tripset30: shows [6s 5s] (a straight, Three to Seven)diablo4824: mucks hand Tripset30 collected $53.25 from potdiablo4824 leaves the table*** SUMMARY ***Total pot $55.95 Rake $2.70 Board [3s 4s 5d 7d Qc]Seat 1: jarrad007 folded before Flop (didn't bet)Seat 2: reda0010 folded before Flop (didn't bet)Seat 3: SD-native24 folded before Flop (didn't bet)Seat 4: canalla18 folded before Flop (didn't bet)Seat 5: ehans21 folded before Flop (didn't bet)Seat 6: diablo4824 mucked [9c 9s]Seat 7: CaptainPL (button) folded before Flop (didn't bet)Seat 8: nickianthony (small blind) folded before FlopSeat 9: Tripset30 (big blind) showed [6s 5s] and won ($53.25) with a straight, Three to Seven

Diablo had been playing fairly tight, and I felt like I could outplay him after the flop. In a lot of cases I'm getting about 2-1 on my money, and even though that didn't end up being the case I figured it was worth a shot.

I couldn't have asked for a better flop. 3-4-5, giving me top pair, an open-ended straight flush draw and, obviously, an open-ended straight possibility. I checked, and he bet. I figured he'd fire in some sort of continuation bet, and he did. After he called my check-raise, I definitely put him on an over-pair but no better than 10s. I would have heard about it.

Then of course, the seven comes on the turn. A lot of people check there, but knowing that he had an overpair I figured it better that I bet because if I check he's just checking behind me. Plus, if I check it's almost screaming out that I have a straight and I'm gonna make a value bet on the river. By betting it almost looks like I'm trying to scare him off the hand.

And then, well, pot odds probably forced him to call on the river. At that point there was like $44 in the pot and he merely had to call an additional nine. Funny, some dude after the hand was like, "Are you kidding me?" To paraphrase what Doyle Brunson said, you're supposed to hit your draws sometimes.

PokerStars Game #14207617909: Hold'em No Limit ($0.25/$0.50) - 2007/12/30 - 16:28:30 (ET)Table 'Bishop III' 9-max Seat #9 is the buttonSeat 2: reda0010 ($9.50 in chips) Seat 3: poker.fr ($49.50 in chips) Seat 4: canalla18 ($62.65 in chips) Seat 5: ehans21 ($55.20 in chips) Seat 6: Monarch44 ($50.50 in chips) Seat 8: nickianthony ($57.30 in chips) Seat 9: Tripset30 ($125.15 in chips) julienlebcbg will be allowed to play after the buttonreda0010: posts small blind $0.25poker.fr: posts big blind $0.50
*** HOLE CARDS ***Dealt to Tripset30 [Kd Kh]canalla18: raises $2 to $2.50ehans21: folds Monarch44: folds nickianthony: folds Tripset30: raises $4.50 to $7reda0010: folds poker.fr: calls $6.50canalla18: calls $4.50
*** FLOP *** [9d 4c 6d]poker.fr: checks canalla18: checks Tripset30: bets $12poker.fr: folds ehans21 is disconnected canalla18: raises $43.65 to $55.65 and is all-inTripset30 said, "jesus"Tripset30: calls $43.65
*** TURN *** [9d 4c 6d] [7h]
*** RIVER *** [9d 4c 6d 7h] [9c]*** SHOW DOWN ***canalla18: shows [Qs Qc] (two pair, Queens and Nines)Tripset30: shows [Kd Kh] (two pair, Kings and Nines)Tripset30 collected $129.55 from pot*** SUMMARY ***Total pot $132.55 Rake $3 Board [9d 4c 6d 7h 9c]Seat 2: reda0010 (small blind) folded before FlopSeat 3: poker.fr (big blind) folded on the FlopSeat 4: canalla18 showed [Qs Qc] and lost with two pair, Queens and NinesSeat 5: ehans21 folded before Flop (didn't bet)Seat 6: Monarch44 folded before Flop (didn't bet)Seat 8: nickianthony folded before Flop (didn't bet)Seat 9: Tripset30 (button) showed [Kd Kh] and won ($129.55) with two pair, Kings and Nines

Obviously this was a huge hand. I had a feeling it would be when Canalla raised to $2.50 pre-flop, a huge raise anywhere except in some of the home games I frequent. I have no idea why poker.fr cold-called, but I guess it doesn't really matter. What does matter is that Canalla just smooth-called.

The flop wasn't really scary, but I admit I was really shook when Canalla made it $55.65 to go. For a moment I thought, "Damn, isn't this some karma? I sucked out on aces last night with kings, and now he's hit his set on my kings." However, I quickly determined that that couldn't be the case.

$2.50 UTG with nines, sixes, or fours? That's suicidal, and that's not the type of player I'd determined Canalla to be in the two hours or so I sat with him.

Obviously, the only other hand that scared me would be aces. While $2.50 UTG could fulfill that criteria, smooth calling against me with position and with establishing a tight image just wasn't feasible. I put him on queens or jacks and called. Thankfully, I was right.

This is a hell of a way to end 2007. Now, let me go get some money out from ePassporte.

Finally.

Luck Starting to Turn (Flop or River)?

I really shouldn't jinx myself, especially when technically I'm still playing. Hold up, let me leave the table so that this becomes official.

Wow, I just got felted...




Just kidding, but honestly with the kind of year I'm having, would you have questioned it?

Weird session tonight. I thought I played real solid, probably one of my better overall showings of the year in terms of how I played. And yet, I should have been felted. Twice.

PokerStars Game #14195964704: Hold'em No Limit ($0.25/$0.50) - 2007/12/30 - 04:30:42 (ET)Table 'Ilioneus III' 9-max Seat #8 is the buttonSeat 1: viva el rio ($8.50 in chips) Seat 3: n2itiv4real ($19.15 in chips) Seat 4: Claedeus ($11 in chips) Seat 5: rain6804 ($52.50 in chips) Seat 6: HelenofPoker ($56 in chips) Seat 7: Tripset30 ($56.50 in chips) Seat 8: mayhem29 ($90.45 in chips) Seat 9: lordvolk ($50.25 in chips) lordvolk: posts small blind $0.25viva el rio: posts big blind $0.50rieke07: sits out
*** HOLE CARDS ***Dealt to Tripset30 [Kh Kc]n2itiv4real: folds Claedeus: folds rain6804: folds HelenofPoker: raises $1.50 to $2Tripset30: raises $4 to $6mayhem29: folds lordvolk: folds viva el rio: folds HelenofPoker: raises $14.50 to $20.50Tripset30: raises $36 to $56.50 and is all-inHelenofPoker: calls $35.50 and is all-in
*** FLOP *** [8s Ks 6s]
*** TURN *** [8s Ks 6s] [4h]
*** RIVER *** [8s Ks 6s 4h] [7h]
*** SHOW DOWN ***HelenofPoker: shows [Ad As] (a pair of Aces)Tripset30: shows [Kh Kc] (three of a kind, Kings)Tripset30 collected $109.75 from pot*** SUMMARY ***Total pot $112.75 Rake $3 Board [8s Ks 6s 4h 7h]Seat 1: viva el rio (big blind) folded before FlopSeat 3: n2itiv4real folded before Flop (didn't bet)Seat 4: Claedeus folded before Flop (didn't bet)Seat 5: rain6804 folded before Flop (didn't bet)Seat 6: HelenofPoker showed [Ad As] and lost with a pair of AcesSeat 7: Tripset30 showed [Kh Kc] and won ($109.75) with three of a kind, KingsSeat 8: mayhem29 (button) folded before Flop (didn't bet)Seat 9: lordvolk (small blind) folded before Flop

Pretty lucky. HelenofPoker criticized me for re-raising all-in pre-flop, but honestly I put him/her on queens through tens not because I'm an optimist, but because he/she had been playing erratically and I had re-popped him/her pre-flop before and I thought he/she was trying to send a message. Of course, the whole third raise thing should have let me know what was up, but whatever... won't be the last time I suck out, I thought.

Then...

PokerStars Game #14196140302: Hold'em No Limit ($0.25/$0.50) - 2007/12/30 - 04:50:23 (ET)Table 'Ilioneus III' 9-max Seat #1 is the buttonSeat 1: KMERCURIO ($46.45 in chips) Seat 2: rieke07 ($10.95 in chips) Seat 3: n2itiv4real ($46.35 in chips) Seat 4: Claedeus ($12.55 in chips) Seat 5: rain6804 ($59.95 in chips) Seat 6: HelenofPoker ($20.85 in chips) Seat 7: Tripset30 ($105.40 in chips) Seat 8: neveragain18 ($49.25 in chips) Seat 9: lordvolk ($39.25 in chips) rieke07: posts small blind $0.25n2itiv4real: posts big blind $0.50*** HOLE CARDS ***Dealt to Tripset30 [Kh Kd]
Claedeus: folds rain6804: folds HelenofPoker: folds Tripset30: raises $1 to $1.50neveragain18: folds lordvolk: folds KMERCURIO: raises $3.50 to $5rieke07: folds n2itiv4real: folds Tripset30: calls $3.50
*** FLOP *** [9s Th 8d]Tripset30: checks KMERCURIO: bets $2.50Tripset30: raises $4.50 to $7KMERCURIO: raises $34.45 to $41.45 and is all-inTripset30: calls $34.45
*** TURN *** [9s Th 8d] [7c]
*** RIVER *** [9s Th 8d 7c] [Kc]
*** SHOW DOWN ***Tripset30: shows [Kh Kd] (three of a kind, Kings)KMERCURIO: mucks hand Tripset30 collected $90.65 from pot*** SUMMARY ***Total pot $93.65 Rake $3 Board [9s Th 8d 7c Kc]Seat 1: KMERCURIO (button) mucked [Ac As]Seat 2: rieke07 (small blind) folded before FlopSeat 3: n2itiv4real (big blind) folded before FlopSeat 4: Claedeus folded before Flop (didn't bet)Seat 5: rain6804 folded before Flop (didn't bet)Seat 6: HelenofPoker folded before Flop (didn't bet)Seat 7: Tripset30 showed [Kh Kd] and won ($90.65) with three of a kind, KingsSeat 8: neveragain18 folded before Flop (didn't bet)Seat 9: lordvolk folded before Flop (didn't bet)

This time I'm a little more careful with my kings pre-flop, only calling the re-pop, not wanting to balloon the pot too much before the flop. I check the 8-9-10 flop seeing if he showed any weakness, and in my opinion a bet of $2.50 after a re-pop to $3.50 was weak, totally post-oakish and that he had A-K. Of course, when he came back over top of me I saw that he read Super/System II, too. Why I called, I have no idea. I forget completely what I was thinking at the time, if anything. Actually my "guess" at the time was that he had either jacks or a set from the board, and I went with jacks, praying that a 7 or Q didn't fall. I didn't think I'd need the king on the river to win.

Goddamn, I got so lucky. Twice.

But, the way this year has been, maybe I was due for a miracle suck-out. Maybe this is the kind of thing that can jumpstart my 2008, for it has been a porous 2007 poker-wise and legally.

Anywho, some poker resolutions for the year 2008.

• Limit my play of marginal hands: I'm trying more or less to get back to a tight-aggressive style in an effort to limit the constant teeter-totter nature of my results. I know every now and then I need to mix it up, but playing 8-5 suited everytime? Nopes.
• Shore up my play on the turn and river: I can really change that to all facets of hold 'em, but I need the most work on the turn and river, because that's where I'm losing most of my money. I get way too involved with just medium strong holdings at those points.
• Pay more attention: A big reason for my poor 2007 was my inability to read opponents or capitalize on tendencies, which used to be a pretty decent facet of my game. For one reason or another I've had trouble focusing at the poker table. I've become too tunnel-visioned in my own holdings.
• Stay positive: I mean both in net and in attitude. I've been so down on my play that I'm almost shell-shocked every time I sit down. I need to start trusting my instincts and just make the right play for the given situation.

Yeah, team Tripset had a down year, but then again so did 50 Cent. While I don't have near his bankroll, I can take a lesson from him in maintaining swagger.

2008: Get Rich or Stop Playing

Slump Broken?

Really, you say?

Is it possible that Justin "Tripset30" Cherot actually had a good session?

That produced profit?

Yes, it is. By no means am I claiming to be world-beater (especially after blowing a sizeable 3-1 chip lead in my last sit-n-go), but I think tonight I had my most solid session in about six months. I only played two low limit sit n go's tonight, but I saw some really encouraging signs that my slump is, if not done, about to be a memory.

Sit-n-go poker is definitely different than cash game poker, but I can take principles learned from playing tonight and apply them to my next cash game. One thing I did tonight that maybe I hadn't done in a long time is really focus, and I think I can attribute that to the fact that making a profit at such small limits wasn't as important to me as working on my game and making the correct decisions at the table. Or, if not always making the right decision, at least not the costly one.

I made some good laydowns and some hands where I called with the thinness, once for all my chips. My recall was sharp and my deductive reasoning was on point. I felt like tonight was a real good night...

But, perfectionist that I am, the last hand I played tonight really bugs me.

My dumbass didn't save the hand history, so I shall re-construct it in pure Justin Cherot form.
Lemme set the table:

Five or six hands into heads-up with the blinds at 100-200 (quick tourney). The villain, a loose-aggressive but solid player, had me by about 1500 chips, like 7500-6000 or something like that. I came in with the chip lead but he was the aggressor, raising every button and check-raising two flops when I led out.

The hand before I felt like I had had the best hand with a pair of fours on a K-K-4-6-A board, but I folded, not wanting to risk my tourney life on a pair of fours. The next hand, I guess I try to send a message by raising on the button with K-3 off, a message that I'm not easily bullied or detered by attempts at bullying. I wasn't surprised when he called. After all, heads-up is a different ball game.

The flop came 4-6-3, two spades. He checked to me, and I fired $400. I wanted it to look like a continuation bet, because I thought that at that point I was winning. I wanted him to check-raise, and he did exactly that, a min. raise, same shit with the K-K-4 flop the hand before.

I really thought I had him, and I just smooth-called. Yes, I was slow-playing bottom pair because I thought I had him.

The turn was a K. Money card, especially in heads-up! I checked to him, this time hoping I could get a check-raise in. He bet $1200. I thought for a minute and really thought he was trying to run me over. Then, I back-tracked. Maybe he really did have a set, or 5-7. But, I came back to my senses. Why wouldn't he just let me hang myself, why wouldn't he just check-call? I re-popped all-in, and when he paused initially I thought I had caught him, maybe even scared him away from the hand.

Turned out his Internet connection was weak. He had 7-5 of hearts. I prayed futilely for the miracle K or 3, but, well, even online poker shouldn't reward such a miscue.

You can make the case that, especially in heads-up, once I hit the turn as hard as I did there was no turning back. But, honestly, I got outplayed. Hey, it happens. More often than it honestly should, but it happens.

That doesn't change the fact that for the most part I felt really good about tonight. I'm hoping I can ride the momentum.

"We just might be okay... after all."

Seriously...

Try this exercise.

Find the last time I reported profit in this blog (and no, that's not including the sarcastic $3 post)I made. Go ahead, I'll wait.

Okay, I think I found it, but the funny part is I wasn't really reporting a "profit". It was more an amusing anecdote about how "well" I played A-K. The only thing that really tipped me off to that being a "profit" post is because I went into the whole Prahlad Friedman rap in the end (if you really haven't seen it by now, click his name). I was happy, giddy like a little school girl in church.

I'm not saying that poker ever used to be easy. Quite the contrary. I remember nights getting my ass handed to me in the beginning when I first started playing. Shit, I even remember sometimes playing against Langan (a freqeunt commenter on this blog) and asking if I could check or not. Mis-read boards, out of position bets, the whole nine. I would give people money.

I guess what I'm saying is that I really shouldn't be struggling the way I am. My poker growth chart would go something like this, and I guess I've been playing consistently for, what, almost five years now:

My first year I played with Monopoly pieces while still learning the rules.

Between my first and second year I went from worst to maybe second best at my now disbanded home game (the best player in that game I don't think really plays anymore).

Between my second and third year I was inconsistent but every once in awhile I would show flashes of brilliance that would really make me think I can turn this into more than just a typical hobby. Coincidentally this is also when I started playing online for money.

And, then there's this year, the equivalent of my senior year at poker university, the year where I should have put together all of the inconsistency and maybe--just maybe--worked my bankroll into something substantial, not like six figure substantial but decent.

But, let's be real.

I have developed so many holes in my game over the course of the past year that I feel I'm beyond repair. If this isn't rock bottom, I do not want to know what that feels like. I've read all these books and watched all these movies and yet, I have no concept at all of what it really means to have and maintain a bankroll. I'll do something dumb like play $1-$2 knowing that I only have like $1200 in my real account. I've played all of these hands and yet, I still call with two pair with a straight or flush possibility on the board when it's OBVIOUS that I have to make that laydown. I read and read and read about not being too loose, or at least not loose passive, and here I go, limping from early position with 5-4 off-suit trying to hit God knows what on the flop. I bet when I should check, check when I should bet, get run over by bullies, etc., etc.

Dog. I fucking suck.

Unlike in previous years, I do not feel myself getting any better or growing as a poker player. I keep making the same dumbass mistakes that most reasonable people learn within minutes of learning how to play hold 'em. And, here's the kicker.

I've found a somewhat consistent home game, and with all honesty you know what? I am by far the worst player in that game. It's not even that tough a game! But, I am by far the absolute worst player in that game.

I can't even name a player I'm better than right now. I really can't.

I've got to stop kidding myself into thinking I can do anything with this game.

Mike Caro's Threshold of Misery

It's no secret: for the past six months I have played some of the most awful poker known to man. The support from my poker playing friends has been everything from "Hang in there" to "Take a hiatus". I'm more leaning towards the latter, but I've always been an optimist. Sooner or later the numbers will catch up, I'll start playing better and I'll have a WSOP bracelet.

Just making sure you were paying attention.

But, after one particular session a couple of weeks ago where I played horrendous, I went back to the drawing board for a minute and picked up Doyle Brunson's Super System 2, a title that Jim McManus, author of Positively Fifth Street, says makes no sense at all. Well, the title I don't neccesarily get, but when players drop as many jewels as they do in that book, it could be Doyle Brunson: Limping Made Gangsta for all I care. For anybody reading this blog, you're not really any kind of poker player until you've read the book.

I mention Super System because as I was glancing back over some chapters on trying to piece back together my fundamentals, I stumbled over Mike Caro's chapter. Now, I know he has his own book and everything with a lot of the same information, but there was one section in particular that got my attention, and it sums up a lot of not only what's been going on at the poker table, but my life as well.

I shall give you the most important snippet from his "Threshold of Misery" section:

"Few concepts have resonated with students more than Caro's Threshold of Misery. I continually receive letters, e-mails, and face to face thanks from both poker players and people in the "real world", telling me how much this simple truth has meant to them.

"Here's how it goes: suppose you're a small to medium limit player, and you can envision yourself comfortably losing a maximum of $1,500 today. I'm not suggesting that you'll be happy about losing that much, just that you can comfortably handle it and that anything more will begin to feel uncomfortable.

"Okay, now you find yourself down $500, then $1,100, then--before it registers, you've zoomed past $1,500 and are losing $1,800. You've entered dangerous territory. And it gets worse. And worse. Hours later, you find yourself losing $4,530. Now, your mind is numb. I believe that most people at this point can't mentally comprehend added losses. It all feels the same. You've crossed into Caro's Threshold of Misery, which is the point where mental and emotional pain is maximized and anything further won't register.

"You must be aware when you cross that threshold, because beyond it decisions don't seem to matter. This is true in real life, too. When romances unravel or businesses fail, you might cross the Threshold of Misery and stop caring about making critical decisions. That's because the pain is already maximized and anything else that goes wrong can't add to the agony... at these times, in poker and in life, the secret is to keep performing like you care."

And, I can say that on the poker table and in some other portions of my life, this theory rings so true. I can almost feel myself get that way in live cash games, when I get a big hand cracked and the next hand raise with 5-4 off because deep down I know that if I lose that pot it's not going to make me feel any worse.

On a grander scale of poker, from game to game I mean, it's like losing $40 isn't going to be that awful. Why? Because I've dropped a couple thousand this year, and what's another $40? That's the wrong way to approach poker.

That's the wrong way to approach life.

Even though shit really isn't panning out the way I thought it would, with poker, school--shit, my relationships, I have to get out of this mindset that, "Oh, who cares what I do? Everything's fucked up anyway."

Like Caro says, no matter what the results are, I have to keep performing as though I care, as though there is something at stake. That's the only way I'm going to bust out of this slump. No small ball gimics. No drastic changes in strategy (for the most part). I just have to perform the absolute best I can.

In all facets of life.

I used to give a fuck, now I can give a fuck less?
Fuck that, I done been under enough stress.

Opposite Eminem

"I used to give a fuck, now I can give a fuck-less."


What do I think of success, wait it's the wrong subject,
I think my set is good, until the third club hits,
Then my success turns into over my budget,
After awhile I have to suspect my game has no substance,
Used to make smart plays, now I succumb to dumbness,
At the table I suffer from numbness,
I get comfortable, so much so I get undressed,
They bend me over, penetrate me with the hard deck,
I'm a Target, I paint my own bullseye, dead center,
Of my heart, it gets cut with diamonds,
'Till I bleed like hymens, 'cept my cherry's been popped,
I ain't runnin', I been got, like Cam'ron I been shot,
Now I'm runnin' in the red, shit, when will this stop?
I used to give a fuckless, now I give a fuck,
And that's the only reason I'm losin', let's flip-flop,
Then maybe I'll get back in shape, tip-top.