Reminder to stay patient and focused

This is in regards to mtts (donkaments) which I seem to suck at this year. I guess that long xmas break I took really messed up my head. I can't seem to focus in these things, and I'm getting extremely impatient. Like getting a decent stack in with only a slight edge early just aint worth it. Though I have over 1k in mtt winnings this year I'm still down for the month, and playing these things kill my hourly rate. Will more than likely take this weekend off (da bowl) so will regroup by then, hopefully.

On the cash game front, I'm doing ok. Was running extremely well in NL, but coolers = tilt. I have numerous sets over set losses that hurt. But I'm still playing well though my profit should be a lot higher than it is. Limit poker I'm doing very well and loving it. I feel like I have the good fundamentals down pat, while my opponents are mostly clueless as when to bet, when to raise, check, call, etc.. Mixing in some 10/20 games now, though I feel the difference in level of play is huge.

damn donkaments

Its 2am and I've been playing a pretty damn good tourney. $50k on stars, $50+5. Got lucky close to the bubble when button decides to open shove, and magically i'm holding AA on the BB to double to 30bb. Made some great reads like this:

PokerStars Game #14568085330: Tournament #73676345, $50+$5 Hold'em No Limit - Level XII (600/1200) - 2008/01/15 - 00:34:07 (ET)
Table '73676345 33' 9-max Seat #4 is the button
Seat 1: Eschilo (15595 in chips)
Seat 2: cheers98 (28098 in chips)
Seat 3: NewPokerKid (55812 in chips)
Seat 4: ZedzDed81 (32083 in chips)
Seat 5: actyper (24615 in chips)
Seat 6: bigcil (30300 in chips)
Seat 7: graslevy (14948 in chips)
Seat 8: acesupyrs (9185 in chips)
Seat 9: TrackStar488 (11146 in chips)
Eschilo: posts the ante 125
cheers98: posts the ante 125
NewPokerKid: posts the ante 125
ZedzDed81: posts the ante 125
actyper: posts the ante 125
bigcil: posts the ante 125
graslevy: posts the ante 125
acesupyrs: posts the ante 125
TrackStar488: posts the ante 125
actyper: posts small blind 600
bigcil: posts big blind 1200
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to actyper [2d Td]
graslevy: folds
acesupyrs: folds
TrackStar488: folds
Eschilo: folds
cheers98: folds
NewPokerKid: folds
ZedzDed81: folds
actyper: raises 1800 to 3000
bigcil: calls 1800
*** FLOP *** [Qs Jc 6c]
actyper: bets 3675
bigcil: calls 3675
*** TURN *** [Qs Jc 6c] [5s]
actyper: checks
bigcil: checks
*** RIVER *** [Qs Jc 6c 5s] [2s]
actyper: bets 3500
bigcil: raises 6500 to 10000
actyper: calls 6500
*** SHOW DOWN ***
bigcil: shows [9c 8c] (high card Queen)
actyper: shows [2d Td] (a pair of Deuces)
actyper collected 34475 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 34475 | Rake 0
Board [Qs Jc 6c 5s 2s]
Seat 1: Eschilo folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 2: cheers98 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 3: NewPokerKid folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 4: ZedzDed81 (button) folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 5: actyper (small blind) showed [2d Td] and won (34475) with a pair of Deuces
Seat 6: bigcil (big blind) showed [9c 8c] and lost with high card Queen
Seat 7: graslevy folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 8: acesupyrs folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 9: TrackStar488 folded before Flop (didn't bet)

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

Lost a lot of chips later though with TT when bigger stack decides to check raise shove a K high rainbow flop (stop tangling with the big boys). Continued up and down until I got low.

Out Hand

PokerStars Game #14569296452: Tournament #73676345, $50+$5 Hold'em No Limit - Level XVII (2500/5000) - 2008/01/15 - 02:03:06 (ET)
Table '73676345 106' 9-max Seat #8 is the button
Seat 1: Wabs10 (89244 in chips)
Seat 3: THE BURGLER (55610 in chips)
Seat 4: jasray (115713 in chips)
Seat 5: cguido10 (114392 in chips)
Seat 6: wausau1 (105361 in chips)
Seat 7: herschelw (213328 in chips)
Seat 8: HR_Dub (191232 in chips)
Seat 9: actyper (44898 in chips)
Wabs10: posts the ante 500
THE BURGLER: posts the ante 500
jasray: posts the ante 500
cguido10: posts the ante 500
wausau1: posts the ante 500
herschelw: posts the ante 500
HR_Dub: posts the ante 500
actyper: posts the ante 500
actyper: posts small blind 2500
Wabs10: posts big blind 5000
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to actyper [Td Qd]
THE BURGLER: folds
jasray: folds
cguido10: folds
wausau1: folds
herschelw: raises 7500 to 12500
HR_Dub: folds
actyper: raises 31898 to 44398 and is all-in
Wabs10: folds
herschelw: calls 31898
*** FLOP *** [4d 8s Jc]
*** TURN *** [4d 8s Jc] [7h]
*** RIVER *** [4d 8s Jc 7h] [2h]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
actyper: shows [Td Qd] (high card Queen)
herschelw: shows [7c Qh] (a pair of Sevens)
herschelw collected 97796 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 97796 | Rake 0
Board [4d 8s Jc 7h 2h]
Seat 1: Wabs10 (big blind) folded before Flop
Seat 3: THE BURGLER folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 4: jasray folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 5: cguido10 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 6: wausau1 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 7: herschelw showed [7c Qh] and won (97796) with a pair of Sevens
Seat 8: HR_Dub (button) folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 9: actyper (small blind) showed [Td Qd] and lost with high card Queen

Booo, when you play for 5hrs you except to go pretty deep, at least final 2. Baaah just watched that luckbox knock out another huge stack AT > KK allin preflop. Time to sleep

Limit Post

Been playing a lot of limit short handed cash games lately, and done pretty well, so might as well share what I've improved in my game.

Most important rule: Preflop = Raise or Fold
Pretty much always either raise or fold preflop. If you are the blinds it is ok to call, and sometimes in a 3bet pot, but the main idea is that if your hand is not good enough to raise then its probably better off left unplayed.

Building pots
If you have a good draw, always build the pot. Don't take free cards, take them if you have a crappy draw.

Don't get sucked in
If your pretty sure your beat after the turn comes out, just give up on the hand. The 4th/5th street hands are expensive, and trying to beat bluffs all the time is -EV. I'm not saying to lay down all the time, just don't think A high or mid pair is always good.

Checking rivers to induce bets
If oop and you figure our oponent has air, check to induce the bluff, they will bet 95% of the time.

Thats all I can think of for now.

2007 Recap / 2008 Goals

2007 Goals
1) Better tracking. I was going to make my own tracking spreadsheet, but I a am pretty lazy. Done. New 2008 version available at VPIPoker.com
2) $ Amount. I'm not going to set a $ amount goal this year. I'll express it this way. Cash games I want to move up to $1000NL by the end of the year. I'm ready to play $400NL now anyways so its only 1 more step higher. Limit I'll stick with 5/10. Don't really want to play higher yet. Tournament goals below.
Boo. Still at $400/500NL after not doing as well, dropped back to $200NL. Very confident at that level. Went back to 400/500 end of the year with mixed success. Limit at 5/10 but didn't really play too much.
3) Qualify for another major event. WSOP/WPT/CPT. Due to vacation time, I don't think I'll be able to take that much time off work. So no week long ones such as Aruba, Atlantis, WPS, Aussie. WSOP will be tough. I need more vacation time, or just go pro.
Boo. No sat entries won, came close many times though.
4) Tournament Cash winnings. First goal is to get to $2k, then take home $5k, then $10k+. Going to try and play at least 1 $50+ tourney a week. Will continue to improve my tourney skills. Maybe rejoin pokerxfactor, though I probably won't have time to watch the videos again.
Boo. Had a few 1k+ cashes but highest was $3800. By november though my tournament game was pretty "on" so I'm confident for 2008.
5) Omaha/Horse. Learn and get better. Seems like more and more players are enjoying Horse games. I might as well join in the fun. I guess I'm an average Omaha/hi or lo player, I know I have a lot of room to improve though. Maybe I'll buy a book.
Boo. Didn't play much of any other games, prob even less than before.
6) Read. I have books galore that I have yet to read or finish yet.
?. Read a few more books, but joined pxf and watched card runner videos which are way better than books.
7) More Live Poker. Port Perry is only 45mins away. Fallsview/Niagara/Brantford are only 1.5hrs away. Yet I don't play much live poker at casinos. I should. Plus more home games as well. Maybe hit some undergrounds.
Boo. Pretty much only played live for WPT Niagara satellites and Vegas. Undergrounds are pretty much out of the question now since too many gone busto.

Even though I failed most of my goals, I had a successful 2007. Made more than any other previous year. Maybe too hard on myself, but I do like to push myself further. I know I've gotten a lot better, so hopefully that continues onto 2008.

2008 Goals

1. Hourly Rate. I finished at an approx $50/hr rate. Had a losing July and a couple of sub 1k months which screwed it up. I'm setting my goal for $100/hr. I averaged 48hrs per month in 07, I should have that up to at least 60.
2. Cash Games. Same as last year, get to $1000NL. Limit $10/20 which should be no prob.
3. Tournaments. Definately should be able to get a 5 digit score.
4. Satellites. Qualify for WSOP ME, WPT Niagara, Aussie or PCA Jan 09.
5. Live Poker. Honestly not much, would rather play online
6. Education. Continue learning and improving.

In summary I would like to be able to step into this full time if something should happen to my regular job either voluntarily or not. Time to make some serious money.