Tuesday, January 20, 2009

I've Moved to Wordpress

In preparation of bigger things, I've moved to wordpress for now.

Update your links:

http://dubspoke.wordpress.com/

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

You know you are playing well....

When you can come close to minimizing your losses with AK on this type of board:

http://weaktight.com/697472

This guy timing on this hand SCREAMED a flopped set. He SNAP-called my flop raise. A weaker King THINKS about making a move before acting. Then he INSTA-checked turn. Was 100% positive he had a Full House at that point.

Yet I couldn't fold the river to the half-pot bet. Bah. Oh well. I'm happy only losing $16 rather than $50.

New PBP

Time to expand/create a new PBP as I crushed my last one.

2009 Goals:

1) To have a $1k month
2) To have a $1k week.
3) To have a $1k day.
4) To have a $1k pot (win).
5) Improve my MTT game and win an MTT with 1st being >$500.


Beginning Date: January 14, 2009
Starting BR: $1000
Initial Limit: 50NL 6Max
Next Target: $2000, 100NL

Target Winrate: 5bb/100
Hrs per day: 4
Tables: 4
Avg Hands per table per hour: 80
Total Avg Hands per hour: 320 hands an hour
Profit per hour at 5bb/100: $9.60
Total profit per day: $38.40
Plus Rakeback per day: ~$17
Days to complete: ~18

I plan on being at 100NL by February 15th.

How am I going to achieve a 5bb/100 winrate? Going to be paying close attention to the following factors:

1) TILT CONTROL. When I surpass a 2 buy-in loss in a single session, I will shut down all tables and take a mandatory break. I will walk the dog. I will clean the house. I will play Wii. I will NOT play poker. Yes, 2 buy-ins isn't much but I have to be careful since I'm playing on only a 20 buy-in roll. I have been very susceptible in the past to large downswings due to lurking tilt. Lurking tilt is tilt that is there although you are not completely aware of it.

2) POSITION. As long as you are playing position correctly, you can play LAG or TAG depending on table dynamics. I have gotten away from this and I suffered some bad swings as a result. 19/13 may not be fancy but is certainly effective at this limit.

3) TABLE SELECTION.
There is no reason to play at a table on AP that has less than 2 fish. Period. If said fish are on your left and not on your right, find a better table. All you are going to do is bleed money to them as they call you down 3 streets with random crap. If you are in position, you can pot control, go for 2 streets of value and check behind the river when necessary.

4) AVOID HERO CALLS. I posted the Balbomb quote to the right for a reason. There is absolutely no need to get fancy at 50NL. Ok, you may lose a 10-15bb pot a time or two where you are being bluffed. The times you get your money in good though will far surpass any of those losses.

5) FOCUS ON BEING TIGHT IN BLINDS! Enough said. SB is the worst starting position. Why am I playing so many hands from there?!

6) STUDY and PARTICIPATE IN FORUMS. Ever since I started chatting with Ryverrat and discussing hands, beats, etc, my game has improved immensely. Forums and articles are a great way to get better while not playing.

7) PAY ATTENTION TO STACK SIZES. Not smart to raise in CO with 87o with a shorty to your left playing 40/10. They're going to call with ATC. You are going to be OOP with a marginal hand. Same when they are in the blinds. You need high card value against these donkeys.

8) SEPERATE POKER FROM PERSONAL LIFE.
This could be renamed "Don't be a moody bitch." The wife isn't the one sitting down at the tables. I am. The wife isn't telling AP to badbeat me back to 0. She wants me to win too. So stop being a moody bitch. When the tables shutdown, I need to release myself from the emotions tied to it.

Goal for Today: Position

It's simple. If you play in position, your likelihood for winning increases. Therefore, I'm going to try to play in position as much as possible.

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

About done with AP

Server crashed again last night. I had just 3 bet two opponents with strong hands and was involved in hands on other tables as well. Come back and I think my account balance is missing the amounts put into those pots.

Stack on that the software is TERRIBLE for multi-tabling more than 6 tables at once.

The only saving grace right now is that I have reached Platinum VIP there and am racking points in that I can convert to cash.

Monday, January 12, 2009

Want some good reading/help on 6Max Cash?

Then check out this guy's site and get the pdf: http://ryanfee.com/

Secrets of the Amateurs linked that in his 2009 goal post. Thanks Andy. Ryan Fee's thoughts are well outlined and really help put into perspective many of the things we SSNL struggly with. Good stuff.

Treading Water....

Start off 1 buy-in down when AA gets cracked by runners. Get refocused, play solid, get back to positive ground.

Wham, bam, @#%@ @#%@#$. Two hands in less than 10 seconds apart lose to a 3 outter and a 6 outter all in on flop. Down two buy-ins with equity in the positive.

I'm now back to less than $10 down. Man this game can be frustrating. I will not be going for Supernova until I'm a consistent winner at 50NL and have 40 buy-ins banked. Then I may consider it. I love having a goal to shoot for. I don't like playing on AP because of their past history, I hate Hellmuth (or at least the persona he has created) and don't want to even remotely support the deuchebag. And I hate their software.

But for now, it is the smartest place for me to play at. eck.

Sunday, January 11, 2009

Great Post on Pot Control

Found this post on 2+2 about pot control. GREAT post. Suggest everyone check it out.

Go for Supernova?

I've been trying to figure out if going for Supernova on Stars is:

1) Achievable for a 6max 50NL and 100NL player?
2) Worth going for rather than continue to play at AP where I have:
-----30% Rakeback
-----Credits for cash
-----Worse players, even the regs are bad.

AP's software tilts me, but the value of rakeback has been crucial for me while building my bankroll. It has helped soften the downswings and multiply the upswings.

This article discuss the merits of Pokerstars VIP Program: http://www.flopturnriver.com/PokerStars-Rakeback-Equivalent.php

As the article discusses, Supernova is where it is at. Pokerstars software is infinitely better than AP. And, oh yeah, that trust thing. Plus, I have cashed out of Pokerstars frequently with 0 issues and very fast receipt of payment. This could be important going forward.

The other option is playing at FullTilt and participating in their IronMan program. I've had difficulty finding a comparison of that program to other VIP programs. Any input is greatly appreciated!

DubsPoke

Saturday, January 10, 2009

So what do you do when you have a bad start?

STOP PLAYING!

Which is what I'm going to do now. Played for one hour, multi-tabling full ring. 628 hands.

Dealt QQ 6 times. Lost 4 times for a loss of$37. (gotta love the retards calling down chasing J high flushes for pot bets all the way to the river and getting there)

Dealt KK 3 times for a loss of $25. Wonderful to have a 3 bet called by J2 and get it all in on J high flop. Not wonderful to have a 2 come on the turn.

So I'm off to play some Madden on the Wii for a while. When I come back, I'm going to practice playing FR by dropping down to 25NL for a little bit.

Friday, January 9, 2009

Not a fun day....

Way way too swingy. Night ended with AA < AQo AIPF. The graph for the day:

What's the best cure for a 3 buy-in downswing?

A 2.5 buy-in UPSWING! (and that's despite starting off with a wonderful cooler of set over set. AAA over KKK to boot!)

Got back to the core of what I was doing well. TABLE SELECTION and PLAYER IDENTIFICATION.

I am now making sure I color code all opponents after 30 hands and then adjust accordingly. I've got back to playing position.

And finally.

Patience. You can play LAG and still be patient. Don't force the action; if you are getting called down 2 streets, probably not smart to bluff the river.

EDIT: MAKE THAT A 4 BUY-IN UPSWING.

Thursday, January 8, 2009

3 buy-in Downswing

Easy come. Easy go. Frustrating day to say the least. More on how I plan on handling it later.

Just ran poorly and am still happy!

Gotta love it. I just ran 2 buy-ins short of equity yet am still in a great mood. I've never had such great tilt control.

Helps that despite running 2 buy-ins short of equity, I'm up $80 in two hours. That's $40 an hour. How can anyone complain about that?!

I'm working on an updated PBP at the moment with new targets, new stats, new math. Will get it up at some point today.

I'm also working on a site rewards comparison tool. A lot more complicated than first appears.

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

My first $400 day....

Booked.

BR now only 250 shy of shot taking at 100NL.

For 5-6 hours of play, I'm making $50 a day in rakeback. Not too shabby to be making a buy-in in rakeback alone each day.

Some hands from my session today....

I'm trying to develop a loose, maniac type image early in my sessions. So far so good.

--------------------------
Here I get a guy to show his overs (TT):
http://weaktight.com/668381

--------------------------

I'm playing 28/28 over 38 hands. villian is 33/26. When he doesn't repop my 3bet, AK, KK, and AA are eliminated from his range. His flat call of my flop bet absolutely screams to me (in this particular situation) that he doesn't have a K. He isn't the type of player to be trappy; he has played his big hands fast.

I put him squarely on QQ or JJ at this point. Since my top pair is good, time to trap with a check-raise shove on turn. Hopefully he will be committed enough to call. Although I was pretty confident in my read, my adrenaline was still pumping: http://weaktight.com/669062

--------------------------

Same table, a couple orbits later. Who raises 78o UTG?:
http://weaktight.com/669071


--------------------------

I've just crossed $300 in profit for the 2nd day in a row. Updated winrate over 2821 hands at 50NL: 46.27 bb/100.

I'm gaining approx $25 in rakeback for every 3 hours of play as well now.

Another interesting stat I just found in HEM: Average All-in Equity %.

I'm currently around 60.7%. Anyone have a clue what % is good?

Benefits of a Loose Image

Just finished yet another +3 Buy-in 1.5 hour session. Winrate now at 45.69 bb/100 > 2300 hands at 50NL.

So I've been experimenting with a pretty aggressive image recently now that I've hit some limits where it can be done a bit more effectively. With wonderful results in a very short sample size.

I'm cultivating this image by raising pretty much every unopened button and selectively 3betting weak opponents with pocket pairs, suited connectors, suited aces, etc.

More importantly, in my opinion, when I decide to cbet, I'm firing almost full pot. Every time. I believe I'm getting more folds as a result.

And then this type of stuff happens:

Getting Paid Off by a very weak hand.

The villian in this case had been playing a whopping 12/0 over 24 hands (yes, very small sample size although you can tell he is somewhat tight already). I was playing something like 44/39 over a small sample size as well on this particular table. The orbit before, he got to see me take a decent chunk from someone with 2h9h when I raised up my BB vs a SB limper and flopped two pair (SB had second pair, Ace kicker). In the hand linked, do you really think this guy would have stacked off with bottom pair if he wasn't against someone he considered a maniac?

I'm also adjusting well when I start getting played back at. I'm also avoiding playing against tough regs. If they 3bet me, I get out of the way (usually). I'm focusing on my targets, avoiding the regs, and just having a blast.

500 to go until shots at 100NL.

Tuesday, January 6, 2009

Is it considered a $1k month?

Question: Is it considered a $1k month if you make over $1k in less than 30 days?

If yes, than I just blasted another one of my goals. Bankroll is over $1.3k after another solid session and my first $300 day.

Now I'm shooting for a $1k calendar month (shouldn't be an issue) and my first $1k week!

BTW - for those wondering what my secret is? It's simply a fact of running RIDICULOUSLY hot. My winrate over 1750 hands at 50NL: 40.67 bb/100


Continuing to roll on....

Already bankrolled for 4 tables of 50NL. Having a winrate of over 38 bb/100 over your first 1k hands at the level will do that for you. I've been experimenting with a more LAG style. Will fill you in on it if I'm able to replicate my success. I also have a collection of links to get put up in regards to cbets and cbet sizing. Good stuff.

I'm now also earning about $25 a day in rakeback. As I mention on the right, rakeback is crucial to building a bankroll. Too bad it took me 4 years to realize that....

If you have signed up for rakeback through me, I appreciate it! Feel free to get in touch with me; I'm more than happy to chat about rakeback, hands, moving through the limits, etc.

Monday, January 5, 2009

This hand got me rolling at 50NL....

Great flop to NOT cbet against this opponent. Turned out to be a great decision:

$0.25/$0.5 No Limit Holdem
6 players
Converted at weaktight.com


Stacks:
UTG DOWNLOW999 ($19.00)
UTG+1 JAYDENTT ($28.15)
CO Hero ($48.55)
BTN WEAZ L ($171.77)
SB SHIPTHEFUNG ($78.75)
BB VINGABIZUB ($108.85)

Pre-flop: ($0.75, 6 players) Hero is CO

2 folds, Hero raises to $1.50, 1 fold, SHIPTHEFUNG calls $1.25, 1 fold


Flop:
($3.50, 2 players)
SHIPTHEFUNG checks, Hero checks


Turn:
($3.50, 2 players)
SHIPTHEFUNG bets $3.50, Hero raises to $12, SHIPTHEFUNG raises to $39.50, Hero goes all-in $47.05, SHIPTHEFUNG calls $7.55


River:
($109.60, 2 players)

Final Pot: $109.60

SHIPTHEFUNG shows:

Hero shows:

Hero wins $94.10 ( won +$33.55 )
SHIPTHEFUNG lost -$48.55

$1k Mark has been hit....

Nice. Time to start taking some limited shots at 50NL. Same process as earlier for moving up. Once BR hits $1100, two tables of 50NL. 3 tables at 1150. 4 tables at 1200 and above.

Drop down to all 25NL if Bankroll drops below 950.

Thursday, January 1, 2009

Another $100 day....

Keep this up and I'll be playing 50NL before the end of next week. Nice!


My graph:

UPDATE: Posted this too soon....almost my first $200 day but then ran KK into a slowplayed AA. Still +183 for the day. Less than $100 until 1k and shot-taking at 50NL.