So near and yet so far

So near to playing well actually, not so near to making lots of money.

I've had a poor-ish run at the tables, not cashing in much (a couple of FT sats only). I've also had a reasonably quiet run with both cards and luck, so tonight's run to the FT of the $4.5k was welcome - but I still didn't play very well. Well thats not entirely true. I played well for maybe 95% of the time - but made at least 1 glaring mistake.

I got a few cards early, but didn't get paid off really. I had 1 set which did get paid - but my AA only got the blinds and my KK was cracked by AJo. Anyway, I had enough chips to make some moves and did until I managed to get in all in with JJ against AA. Comically I sucked out which was embarrassing, but gave me enough ammo to play properly afterwards. Thinking about the hand, I think I'm happy enough with the move, as I think my opponent is raising light enough for me to get it in - I'll did the HH out later.

I then played well until towards the bubble. One fellow who had hit a run of bad beats was down to 1300 or so and pushed from UTG (having lost a lot the hand before) with blinds at I think 600 (possibly 400). I've got AJs in MP and am WAY ahead of his range. I should have raised to isolate - didn't - the BB came along with 68s and rivered me for a 5k pot.

I played the bubble reasonably well, and hit the FT in about 7th or 8 position. I'd restolen well and played fairly solidly. Early on the FT I'm dealt JJ in LP. Blinds are 400/800. UTG raises to 2.4k - and MP min-re-raises to 4.8k. This looks like what it was - a weakly played AA. I don't go by my read and push over the top with JJ and I'm toast. I really should be laying that down there.

So, I doubled my money - but should have done better.

In my defence it was a tough table. UltGamb had a huge chip stack, jose_pipe was there and one fellow from StIves was there - who I suspected was a alias for ClintonO until I remembered his comment on his blog about not playing under aliases, and the fact this fellow didn't seem as good a player - and chatted a lot more.

If I'm going to play these events I can't play badly on even these small number of hands.


I've played 2 more tournies recently and busted in similarly daft fashion.

I'm feeling better poker-wise after tonight - close, but no cigar though.

Playing and dreaming

The funny thing about any decent run of cards with me, is that it sets my mind off. I get lucky a bit, and make some moves at the right time, and suddenly I'm thinking I'm a much better player than I actually am.

Part of this new-found optimism resulted in 3 cashes in satellites on my new FTP account. I'm not quite sure why I've signed up there - but I have, and suddenly half my bankroll is over there. Well slightly less than half, as they have this limit on initial deposits of $1000. Which for most purposes is fine, but I wanted to deposit $1200, so I'll have to do it in two goes. I can't believe I'm such a high-roller than I can't get my money into a poker site. LOL.

Anyway, I've always liked multi-seat satellites, and I discover there are loads on FTP, so yesterday I played a $24+2 to a $150 tourny, and "bubbled" winning $70, but just missing out on a seat. I was the second shortest stack at the end, and shorty won a coin-flop the hand before I busted.

I then entered 2 $12+1 tournies to a $55 event which ran at the same time! There were a small number of people playing both, so I did. I cashed in both, fairly easily, and there was the usual amount of laughable bubble play. So I had $110 in $T and $70 in cash from 3 attempts and suddenly I am calculating how much money I could make if I went pro. Pathetic really. I'm a little worried about my job at the moment as my company is not doing great, so there's a possibility (denied of course) that numbers will have to shrink. I've been consoling myself with the thought that it would give me the chance to see how much money I could make if I sat at this computer more and played poker more seriously.

The answer of course is nothing, as I'm sure I wouldn't be cut out for hour after hour of tournament after tournament.

Tonight is something of a case in point. I played a $24+2 satellite for a $215 seat somewhere, and the play of most people was solid. I'm beginning to overthink things though and see plays (squeeze plays to be exact) where they don't exist. I'm getting a bit short and rauise from MP with 99. The CO calls and the SB pushes over the top. So typically I put him on just the kind of hand I can beat (not much) and walk into his JJ. This happens.

At the same time though I play in the Crypto $13K at 9:00 and for the first time in absolutely ages feel partly out of my depth at the table. I'm not sure I am, but its like I was playing with my cards face up. I didn't hit much, but every continuation bet was attacked when they missed (they all did) I got it all in pre with AK against a hand that was 99, but was played much more strongly, and ended up making a hero/idiot call with AK on a QQ6 board. I've raised from EP pre, and villain flat calls. I check the flop and he shoves for about the value of the pot. I read him (correctly) for not having a Q, but he actually has JJ, so I'm out of that one, and my wining from yesterday have gone.

I've now signed up for the $55 at 10:00pm and managed to lose 300 early with AK - missing the flop AGAIN. Of course my positional raise with 55 sees a flop of AKx, and I check/fold having had too many C-bets go wrong for one night.

Still plenty of play left ...

Update: Carried on playing pretty badly and ended up going bust with KJ. I lead into the J54 flop, an EP player flat calls and a LP player raises. I just don't believe the raiser so I push, but alas the original caller has a set, and I'm toast. The raiser claims to have QJ, so I was half right.

I've not hit many cards, and picked exactly the wrond spots for my moves.

Have I got one more FTP satellite in me this evening?

Unintended Enforced break from the poker

I've been poorly recently so I haven't played a single hand in at least 1 week, probably 2 weeks. Nothing serious - just a nasty cold - but its really knocked my out. I've had 3 days off work, which is almost unheard of for me.

Anyway I've been thinking about the game a bit, and reading kill everyone (excellent BTW) and am itching to get back in the game when I am fully up to speed.

I also fancy railing some of the higher buyin games as they progress. I might watch some of the bigger tournies on FTP. As I get increasingly confident in my play at the $55 level, I could/should consider having the odd crack at a big tournament and it would be fun to watch one.

I've currently 'only' got about $2800 online, which isn't enough for me to have a serious stab at the larger games yet, so I'll continue where I am for the time being.

As things stand though I need to get well again before I can consider any poker at all.