AWOL Super League

This started about 2 weeks ago with the 1^st game going AWOL, well it started and got cancelled mid way through. Since then it is me that has gone AWOL, in that of the 7 played I have played in just 3 of them and done appallingly  in all of them. I have probably outscored myself in the ones I haven’t played being disconnected!

Also HEM isn’t working currently do to the latest PKR update, I’m not sure why they keep changing the hand history’s as currently they aren’t even compatible with their own forum.

I haven’t actually played all that much this month, with it coming up to Christmas I’m finding more reasons to go out, so it will be close whether I hit 100K hands for the year, but with HEM not working I’m not sure how far behind I am.

Once I hit my bonus and I see in the New Year, I am going to hit the NL50 tables.

As I haven’t posted many hand histories, here are a couple, the 1^st one is like what I referred to in one of my previous blogs and people open shoving on me. Thankfully it was into the flopped buts and it held. Some people are just idiots!

Table #33032871 - ***NO TABLE***

Starting Hand #1542935167

Start time of hand: 08 Dec 2010 19:53:32

Last Hand #1542934384

Game Type: HOLD'EM

Limit Type: NO LIMIT

Table Type: RING

Money Type: REAL MONEY

Blinds are now $0.10 / $0.25

Button is at seat 1

Seat 1: MeneGeneOkerland - $29.18

Seat 2: devonacid - $24.65

Seat 3: nicktheshark - $10.04

Seat 4: PokaLady1985 - $29.88

Seat 6: JOHNARAS666 - $34.48

Moving Button to seat 3

PokaLady1985 posts small blind ($0.10)

JOHNARAS666 posts big blind ($0.25)

devonacid posts $0.25

devonacid posts $0.10 dead

Shuffling Deck

Dealing Cards

Dealing [8 d][8 s] to MeneGeneOkerland

MeneGeneOkerland raises to $0.75

devonacid folds

devonacid rebuys $0.70

nicktheshark folds

PokaLady1985 folds

JOHNARAS666 calls $0.75

Pot sizes: $1.95

Dealing Flop [7 c][8 c][3 d]

JOHNARAS666 bets $33.73 (all-in)

MeneGeneOkerland calls $28.43 (all-in)

Returning $5.30 to JOHNARAS666 uncalled

Pot sizes: $58.81

MeneGeneOkerland shows [8 d][8 s]

JOHNARAS666 shows [A c][2 c]

Dealing Turn [6 d]

Pot sizes: $58.81

Dealing River [7 d]

Pot sizes: $58.81

Taking Rake of $2.94 from pot 1

JOHNARAS666 has One Pair: 7s

MeneGeneOkerland has Full House, 8s over 7s

devonacid: call on a draw

MeneGeneOkerland wins $55.87 with: Full House, 8s over 7s

Seat 1: MeneGeneOkerland - $55.87

Seat 2: devonacid - $25

Seat 3: nicktheshark - $10.04

Seat 4: PokaLady1985 - $29.78

Seat 6: JOHNARAS666 - $5.30

devonacid: yesssss

End of Hand #1542935167

The 2^nd one, its not very often I over bet the pot, but for him to call two streets on that flop I thought he has to have a pair, so thought, shove the river to look like a bluff missed flush draw, and hoped my line just looked weird enough.

Table #33065541 - ***NO TABLE***

Starting Hand #1544192510

Start time of hand: 09 Dec 2010 23:10:01

Last Hand #1544191011

Game Type: HOLD'EM

Limit Type: NO LIMIT

Table Type: RING

Money Type: REAL MONEY

Blinds are now $0.10 / $0.25

Button is at seat 6

Seat 1: nicktheshark - $18.15

Seat 2: rastanopasta - $3.13

Seat 3: MeneGeneOkerland - $33.30

Seat 4: Spartan777 - $23.65

Seat 5: epodinos - $19.89

Seat 6: xRamsesIIx - $35.40

Moving Button to seat 1

rastanopasta posts small blind ($0.10)

MeneGeneOkerland posts big blind ($0.25)

Shuffling Deck

Dealing Cards

Dealing [2 s][2 d] to MeneGeneOkerland

Spartan777 calls $0.25

epodinos folds

xRamsesIIx folds

nicktheshark folds

rastanopasta raises to $0.75

MeneGeneOkerland calls $0.75

Spartan777 calls $0.75

Pot sizes: $2.25

Dealing Flop [2 h][8 h][6 s]

rastanopasta checks

MeneGeneOkerland checks

Spartan777 bets $0.25

rastanopasta calls $0.25

MeneGeneOkerland raises to $1.50

Spartan777 calls $1.50

rastanopasta folds

Pot sizes: $5.50

Dealing Turn [5 d]

MeneGeneOkerland bets $3.85

Spartan777 calls $3.85

Pot sizes: $13.20

Dealing River [J s]

MeneGeneOkerland bets $27.20 (all-in)

Spartan777 calls $17.55 (all-in)

Returning $9.65 to MeneGeneOkerland uncalled

Pot sizes: $48.30

MeneGeneOkerland shows [2 s][2 d]

Spartan777 shows [4 h][6 h]

Taking Rake of $2.41 from pot 1

MeneGeneOkerland has Three of a Kind: 2s

MeneGeneOkerland wins $45.89 with: Three of a Kind: 2s

Seat 1: nicktheshark - $18.15

Seat 2: rastanopasta - $2.13

Seat 3: MeneGeneOkerland - $55.54

Seat 4: Spartan777 - $0

Seat 5: epodinos - $19.89

Seat 6: xRamsesIIx - $35.40

End of Hand #1544192510

Running good in poker a no no

I have been thinking about this for a while, and a thread on PKR has made me write about it here, but before I start, I’m not entirely sure what I am going to write about as I am not a psychologist and don’t know the answer.

But anyway, I read a few poker blogs and forums, the majority being on PKR or PKR players . But everyone always writes about how bad they run, or that they are running X amount under EV. I am also guilty of it, but, in truth I run good, my fear is that at some point it WILL bite me in the ass, but whats to say it will, yes it should but at the other end someone could run eternally bad.

As an example I read Rhymenoceros’ blog, who put is monthly graph of winnings, with the EV graph with the comment  “I put the obligatory ev line in which only goes in when you run below allin ev (learnt that one off Muzone and all the 2+2ers)”

This is what I find funny and got me thinking, is it bad to put how good you run, and I have to say I was going to put my November results up but, surprise, I was going to put it up without the EV graph because I ran above EV and whats more I have done all year!

However what I am lost on is whether poker players just like to moan how bad they run and tell everyone they do, or is it for some metagame purpose that I just don’t get. Or is it just posted so everyone who is running bad just to wallow in self-pity and pat each other on the back and say “yeah man I feel your pain”. Of course it could just be human nature.

As I said I am no psychologist and having a quick Google search I found nothing (that I could understand), however I did find one person being Sam Chauhan who is actually a mindset coach and has poker players as clients, who had some interesting articles albeit not answering the question of why people always remember the negative and not the positive.

Well like I said I found no answer but then didn’t really pose any questions, but I shall leave with a good Chinese proverb stole from Sam Chauhan in one of his blogs

“The farmer used a horse to till his fields. One day, the horse escaped into the hills and when the farmer’s neighbors sympathized with the old man over his bad luck, the farmer replied, “Bad luck? Good luck? Who knows?” A week later, the horse returned with a herd of horses from the hills and this time the neighbors congratulated the farmer on his good luck. His reply was, “Good luck? Bad luck? Who knows?”

Then, when the farmer’s son was attempting to tame one of the wild horses, the son fell off the horse’s back and broke his leg. Everyone thought this very bad luck. Not the farmer, whose only reaction was, “Bad luck? Good luck? Who knows?”

Some weeks later, the army marched into the village, taking every boy they found there. When they saw the farmer’s son with his broken leg, they let him off.

Everything has a purpose. Many things happen in our life that we might not understand.If those things did not happen, you would not become who you are about to become.

Oh and my November 10 graph with run good EV :P. Pretty disappointing as most the profit was from playing ~1000 hands at NL100 

   

Hooray for open shoving

It seems everyone seems to be doing it recently, and its obviously profitable as I am the idiot that keeps calling them! I have had 2 nights like that in the last week, so note to self don’t call!

Having said that I did have a profitable Friday night, helped by Welchy, as he recommended I joined a table with spewtastic player in the name of “candlestich”. Whilst the hands below aren’t all that fascinating it kind of shows he was just either betting, betting, betting or calling, calling, calling. Whilst I was there he released himself of 7 buyins, and as G1lly was sat there with $200+ I’m gueesing he did at least 10 buyins.

I  got a double up and a bit extra off him but would have been nice to be G1lly as he ran like god against him which was unfortunate for me :P !

***** Hand History for Game 1530695599 ***** (PKR)

$25.00 USD NL Texas Hold'em - Friday, November 26, 11:19:41 ET 2010

Table Late Store 2 (Real Money)

Seat 4 is the button

Seat 1: illcrashu ( $59.61 USD )

Seat 2: podtav ( $26.68 USD )

Seat 3: candlestich ( $47.49 USD )

Seat 4: MeneGeneOkerland ( $25.00 USD )

Seat 5: welchy ( $34.24 USD )

Seat 6: G1LLY ( $139.23 USD )

welchy posts small blind [$0.10 USD].

G1LLY posts big blind [$0.25 USD].

Dealt to MeneGeneOkerland [  Ah Qc ]

illcrashu folds

podtav folds

candlestich raises [$0.75 USD]

MeneGeneOkerland raises [$2.30 USD]

welchy folds

G1LLY folds

candlestich calls [$1.55 USD]

** Dealing Flop ** [ 2c, Ts, 4h ]

candlestich checks

MeneGeneOkerland bets [$3.40 USD]

candlestich calls [$3.40 USD]

** Dealing Turn ** [ Td ]

candlestich checks

MeneGeneOkerland checks

** Dealing River ** [ 8s ]

candlestich bets [$8.81 USD]

MeneGeneOkerland calls [$8.81 USD]

candlestich shows [Qs, 8c ]

candlestich wins $27.91 USD from main pot

***** Hand History for Game 1530711891 ***** (PKR)

$25.00 USD NL Texas Hold'em - Friday, November 26, 11:35:41 ET 2010

Table Late Store 2 (Real Money)

Seat 2 is the button

Seat 1: illcrashu ( $58.91 USD )

Seat 2: podtav ( $24.58 USD )

Seat 3: candlestich ( $28.42 USD )

Seat 4: MeneGeneOkerland ( $23.20 USD )

Seat 5: welchy ( $37.08 USD )

Seat 6: G1LLY ( $213.09 USD )

candlestich posts small blind [$0.10 USD].

MeneGeneOkerland posts big blind [$0.25 USD].

Dealt to MeneGeneOkerland [  4s 2s ]

welchy raises [$1.00 USD]

G1LLY folds

podtav folds

candlestich calls [$0.90 USD]

MeneGeneOkerland calls [$0.75 USD]

** Dealing Flop ** [ 4d, 9h, Kc ]

candlestich checks

MeneGeneOkerland checks

welchy checks

** Dealing Turn ** [ 2h ]

candlestich bets [$2.25 USD]

MeneGeneOkerland raises [$6.00 USD]

welchy folds

candlestich calls [$3.75 USD]

** Dealing River ** [ Ad ]

candlestich checks

MeneGeneOkerland bets [$8.00 USD]

candlestich calls [$8.00 USD]

MeneGeneOkerland shows [4s, 2s ]

candlestich shows [9s, 5c ]

MeneGeneOkerland wins $29.45 USD from main pot

***** Hand History for Game 1530719907 ***** (PKR)

$25.00 USD NL Texas Hold'em - Friday, November 26, 11:43:09 ET 2010

Table Late Store 2 (Real Money)

Seat 3 is the button

Seat 1: illcrashu ( $57.94 USD )

Seat 2: podtav ( $23.23 USD )

Seat 3: candlestich ( $27.46 USD )

Seat 4: MeneGeneOkerland ( $37.05 USD )

Seat 5: Zdravka ( $25.00 USD )

Seat 6: G1LLY ( $221.27 USD )

MeneGeneOkerland posts small blind [$0.10 USD].

Zdravka posts big blind [$0.25 USD].

Dealt to MeneGeneOkerland [  Kc Ks ]

G1LLY folds

illcrashu folds

podtav raises [$0.75 USD]

candlestich raises [$1.25 USD]

MeneGeneOkerland raises [$3.10 USD]

Zdravka folds

podtav folds

candlestich calls [$1.95 USD]

** Dealing Flop ** [ 8d, 2h, Td ]

MeneGeneOkerland bets [$5.00 USD]

candlestich calls [$5.00 USD]

** Dealing Turn ** [ 5s ]

MeneGeneOkerland bets [$14.00 USD]

candlestich calls [$14.00 USD]

** Dealing River ** [ 3c ]

MeneGeneOkerland bets [$6.00 USD]

candlestich folds

MeneGeneOkerland wins $43.13 USD from main pot

MeneGeneOkerland wins $6.00 USD

The reason for the mention of Welchy is that he one of only a couple of players that I respect at NL25. The other being Kickmypuppy who has also dropped back down to NL25, although thankfully I don't think he'll be down here for long!

Also played a Stage 1 Masters last week and now have a Stage 3 so may give that a whirl this week to try and qualify for only my 2^nd Masters. I don’t remember the 1^st as I was too drunk playing it.

Talking of satellites, ,y thought process for them is very wrong, as they are 1 in 6 qualify it would annoy me if it took 6 attempts, as you may as well have just bought in direct. I know its not how i should look at it but it is, which is why if I try I always start at the low stage 1

Away from poker, well I say away, went out Saturday to watch the England rugby team lose to South Africa, which was unfortunate but the South Africans were brutal! I then ended up playing with a couple of friends, that I wasn’t overly excited at playing against as I normally make a drunken spazout, costing me money I’m trying to save, but thankfully it was one of the other 2 that did it this week.

And a great draw in the 1^st Test of The Ashes, especially given our position at the end of day 3. Although didn’t get to watch any of it due to having no Sky and ungodly hours that its on.

Strange Day

After a day of the most boring courses on Earth, Financial Reporting update and a Charities accounts and audit refresher course. /yawn. It didn’t help that i was knackered from the night before playing till 1.30am playing a bit of PLO50, managed to double my buy in, and its always fun playing it

Anyway started for an evening of poker and after an hour of NL25 found myself up $83. This was mainly down to some crazies playing, like open shoving and raising like 10BB each time. Anyway I then proceeded for the couple of hours to dwindle it down, then lost a 175BB pot, that I didn’t play well, so at this point was $20 but managed to grind it back to a $5 profit for like 3-4 hours play, lol wooo hoo!

Kept having breaks through this to replenish the wine and catch a bit of Children in Need. Terry Wogan is mental, thank god Tess Daly was there, otherwise I don’t think I could have put up with it.

There was also some joy outside of poker, in that a good friend from work had a baby little girl albeit 6 weeks early but obviously I wish all the best to the new and happy family.

November has been a frustrating month. I have played a load as I have gone for my highest re-load bonus yet, but after around 8,000 hands of NL25 I am down $42 but running 7 buyins below EV. My profit overall is at $340 due to me taking a couple of drunken shots at NL100.

Thinking of December goals are that I will clear my bonus (49% cleared already) and slowly move up to NL50.

Am also going to try and hit 100,000 hands for the year. I am at 80,000 but with me trying to clear my bonus @NL25 and the Christmas period coming up I think 20,000 is achievable. 

Me and the year so far

So as it seems every high stakes player and his mother are doing blogs I thought it was about time a small stakes fish also had a go at blogging.

A little bit about my poker and PKR, joined PKR in Jan 2008 and played solely tournaments for just over a year learning and pretty much sucking at them. I then started to learn a couple of key points being BRM and position etc and that middle pair with an Ace kicker can actually be beaten!

Anyway moved over to ring games and mainly played them since Feb 2009, and been tracking on HEM since around July 2009.

My graph for 2010 and last month are below, (there are a couple of swings for drunken  shots at the higher stakes in the yearly one, but majority are at NL25 and a quarter at NL50.)



Anyway I intend to blog about the fun at NL25 posting some fun hands that I have viewed or been involved in and keep track of my monthly wins/losses

I may well also have a few sessions in the near future at NL50 but probably not until around Christmas time when I have more free time.