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Friday, January 19, 2007

I had a blog once...

Well I havent updated this in a while! Crimbo was good, the usual month of mayhem which has hit my credit card big time and left my poker BR destroyed.

I headed over to Edinburgh for New Years, or Hogmanay as they call it. The main street party was called off due to bad weather but with a group of twenty Irish there was no stopping the party!!

Online, Im still playing on PPP and at last seem to be making a steady profit. I realised that my problem was I was playing at rubbish limits. For the last two months Ive been playing at 1/2 and 2/4 cash games only, although I dabble in 3/6 when Im on a good run. I havent played lower than 1/2 in a while, and at last I feel as if I can actually play proper poker. 10c/20c and 25c/50c are full of such ridiculous players, you just cant follow any set game plan. You can make a profit but the players are so loose, they invariably suck out on you with frightening regularity that its just too stressful for the small profit you make. I used to stay at these levels because Id only ever have a few quid in the account as I preferred spending my cash on live rather than online poker.

I find at 1/2 you can build up an image and actually pull a few moves. Ive been steadily making $100 - $200 a session, and other than one big losing session the other week Ive been grinding out a steady profit. I still seem to be getting unlucky a lot in big pots, but where I used to turn off the laptop in frustration moaning about 'my bad luck', I now reload and most of the time make the money back. So this is that variance everyones been talking about then...

I bought Pokertracker and pahud, although I havent really been using them all that much. Also, pokertracker seems to have stopped working since I got a new hard drive on my laptop.

A few things I have noted at this level;

Im getting outplayed a bit in big pots, as Im still playing scared a bit, mainly because I still find it hard to look at the figures on the screen without seeing it in real terms. Whenever I get into a large pot with a marginal hand or a draw, and Im facing a big bet, I keep getting pushed off the pot because I find it hard to throw a weeks wages in without a made hand. I need to follow my instinct more and stop worrying about losing a few hundred quid here and there.

One such example is this hand which I discussed on boards.

Also, Ive noticed that the different styles of play are a lot more obvious at these levels. I find it best when Im at a table with one or two deepstacked maniacs (always good for a double up), and a few tightish shortstacks. I can push the TAG players off a lot of flops by firing out every time they check, and when I hit my hand against one of the maniacs I just keep betting out huge and once he doesnt hit Im sorted. Im still buying in short, usually between $100 and $200, and usually leave once Ive doubled this. Probably not the best method but at the moment Im bankroll building and will happily leave once Ive made a decent profit.


Ive a $500 bonus on PPP which is nearly cleared, and hopefully I can turn that into a few K. I plan on doing a bit of bonus whoring next month, probably start off on Doyles Room which is offering a 100% deposit bonus up to $500.

As for live play, Ive only played once in the last three months since the EPT feeder. That game really messed my head up, as I was in a great position to get the 5k ticket before that 3 outer on the river. It really took the thrill out of live poker for me, and I just havent been bothered going back. Im sure Ill go back eventually, but for the moment a few hours a week online is all Im doing.

I want to start playing decent live games though. I still havent played in any ranking event, which is pretty crap. I reckon Ill build up a bankroll online and use it to fund a few side events and feeders into big events. I cant bring myself to go down to the Fitz or the SE for a €50 tourney anymore. Im not sure when the next big ranking event is but I plan on playing a few side events.

Anyway it might be another while before I update this (if anyone even reads it...)

Adios

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