Tuesday 15th September - Day 10

WCOOP 31 ($,1050 Super Tuesday) - Bust

Again within the opening half an hour I had tropped at least a quarter of my stack just through losing 3bet pots, making bluffs vs. the wrong guys, cbets not working etc. etc. I started to plan a speech about how I think I've managed to drop at least 25% of my stack in the 1st 30 minutes in every event I've played online where the buyin is greater than $300.

Then we started to get to work. Found this vs a really active reg, think the get in is fairly standard vs a squeeze from the small blind:
http://www.boomplayer.com/poker-hand...868_C9E2D7D235

From there we lose a rather sizeable standard flip, but this puts us back in the mix:
http://www.boomplayer.com/poker-hand...341_388CD6A84A

However it wasn't to be when we get tangled in another standard spot, this time btn vs CO where our hands are tied:
http://www.boomplayer.com/poker-hand...866_7C93409F89

Actually really happy though despite going out at bb400, felt like I finally got my teeth into one of those bigger buyin tournaments and actually ran up so momentum for a change instead of losing every pot I got involved in.

Other MTT Results

Again started at a later time, meaning fewer sweats to report. Only made two notable runs (having pure bubbled the Grand Tuesday on iPoker), the first in the Big $109 where I ended up about 70th. Really standard stuff (feel like I've said that alot today) with no real questionable spots, just lost some all ins as I got deeper.

The last table of the day was the $55 10k on Stars. Was absolutely swimming along until KK<AK with 3 tables left for about 40bb. I spin back up, just to finish 19th where a reg I have 2k hands on makes a pretty inspirational small 3b pre then this goes off:
http://www.boomplayer.com/en/poker-h...715_B0275DD052

Day off tomorrow which I look forward to, will be watching some Champions League. Back at it for the Thrill on Thursday, pleaaaase may we make something happen.

There's also a question of how much longer online poker's gonna be around (for you to realize this long term equity) but I'm assuming you're optimistic about it then?

Certainly optimistic about mtt's, not sure I would be in any other field of poker. It seems relatively easy to know whether you are a winner or not at cash/sng's but it's so difficult to find out just how profitable you realistically are in mtt's. There are so many bad regs floating about in mtt's, I believe this is purely because you can eternally blame things on variance, that is of course unless you are winning, in which case you are "running as you should do".

If the question is about expecting online poker rooms to stay open and not slowly kill the population country by country, then I'm very optimistic about this and don't see the end being anywhere near. I could perhaps just be living in my bubble, but should I NEED to move then I may well do, although poker seems pretty secure here in the UK.

subbed. nice thread.
gl

I have lots of faith in you. You put it more eloquently than i managed.

Gl out there today.

Wednesday 16th September - Day 11

WCOOP 34 ($320 6 Max) - Bust

Even though I was set to have a day off, my girlfriend happened to be working (last minute notice) and I realise the only event I was due to play on Friday (Ante Up $320) started too late (10pm), so thought it would be a wise decision to take that day off and grind on Wednesday.

Finally had a really good start having coolered someone in the first half an hour:
http://www.boomplayer.com/poker-hand...979_29019AE9F0

However I still managed to complete the task of not making the antes, grinded down losing a bunch of 3bet pots/having to fold bad rivs, as well as value owning myself in this hand:
http://www.boomplayer.com/poker-hand...409_0A451F2CCE

I then lost the rest of it with AQ vs 76 on a A7774 run out where I don't think I could have folded being I was in the big blind, he peeled from MP vs an open so couldn't really put many 7x in his range and certainly not AA. Disappointment as this left me with 5 big blinds and went out shortly after.

Other MTT Results

Had a really good start to the day finishing 65th in the Big $75, but alongside this I managed a deep run in the $265 KO. This tournament when I do play it (limit myself to monday/wednesday/fridays) pretty much decides whether I'm going to get a headstart on the day, or I'm going to be chasing it. Ended up finishing 8th for about $1.2k after grinding 8bb for 45 minutes or so, running 88 into AA.

Couple of other small cashes, as well as turning a $109 seat into a $550 seat over on party where I am amassing a lot of tournament dollars (may be used for when the WPT comes to Nottingham, UK). Final table of the day was the $55 10k, had a really fun final table, lots of chirping and chatting, eventually running out in 4th for $1.1k meaning a profitable day.

Tyty btw kosss, gl out there in WCOOP. Playing the Thrill today which is always exciting before taking the next couple of days off, still unsure about whether or not I will be playing hte $2k sunday mill this weekend.

Thursday 17th September - Day 12

WCOOP 38 (Thursday Thrill)- Bust

For some reason I thought the 215r was starting 3 hours later than it actually did meaning I missed out on it which is super annoying.

For the first hour in this I chilled on starting stack, then things started picking up. Don't have the hand history but picked up my first bounty when I peel Q10cd from the bb vs MP open and a peel, flop Q86dd. OR had a shortish stack and didnt want to check/decide as it would leave me in a weird spot as he didnt have a stack which he would shove, but felt he might rip over the top of me should I lead and means more folds from the guy behind, so bet and got peeled just by OR. Turn Ad, left with 70% pot or so. Felt really unsure but presumed he would jam all flush draws and dont expect him to show up with a random Ax (bad flop to cbet 3way), so stuck it in given I have the 10d also and he has JJ with a diamond, manage to hold to take me to 15k.

Then get involved in a pretty big pot where I turn a set of kings after peeling a 3 bet pre, check call then check jam over the river bet, he folds and I have 30k. We also hold here to get to 43k:
http://www.boomplayer.com/poker-hand...813_4A7C4DA48F

Then it all started to fall away, starting with this hand:
http://www.boomplayer.com/poker-hand...178_23142D32B0

Ran the maths in game and given the bounty we need 33% equity to call, I made some additions on the tigher side and came out with 38% vs his range. A spot I think we have to take with a 5% equity edge and it not really effecting our future gameplay too severely due to having enough chips behind.

This hand finishes us off however, most frustrating one of the night:
http://www.boomplayer.com/poker-hand...050_ABE5687655

Didn't want him to hero fold JJ/1010 as well as his weaker Kx on the turn to a jam, as played the river is a snap, especially since I don't expect him to have any 8x and it's gg us for $835 with bounties.

Other MTT Results

Again a later start time, so fewer mtt's played, especially since I keep table count whilst playing bigger birds during WCOOP. Did manage to find 100th or something. This hand however got me ITM so I can't complain too much:
http://www.boomplayer.com/poker-hand...098_105847DED2

I mincashed the Hot $55 (friend of mine shipped it, oioiiii!), but again the last table of the night was the $55 10k. Couldn't repeat a final table however, finishing up in 21st.

Taking the next two days off in order to be relaxed for Sunday, where I WILL be playing the $2k Sunday Million. Hopefully conduct some run good in one of these events, if not this one I would like it in the $5k main next week

Sunday 20th September - Day 15

WCOOP 46 ($215 Warmup) - Bust

Got off to a prety bad start as I dropped to 7.5k getting it in pre vs a short stack, JJ no good vs 1010. From here I went down to 5k with multiple r/f's and 3b/f's, then get JJ in vs QQ over the top of a squeeze, gg having never really got going.

WCOOP 48 ($2,100 Sunday Mill) - Bust

Onto what was the most frustrating tournament of the series so far for me. Within the first 30 minutes I had dropped from 15k to 11k having had to fold AQ to an overbet on A65-9-9, as well as this hand vs a nit. Think I can potentially go smaller ott but didn't want it to be like I was enducing some hands into bluffing:
http://www.boomplayer.com/poker-hand...998_C62F348204

After the break it was much of the same, with this vs the same nit. Considered check/calling riv but thought there were a fair few one diamdond hands in his range that he may just check back otr which I can get value from, and don't see him bluffing over this:
http://www.boomplayer.com/poker-hand...429_6702B309E4

Then we move onto the gg hand. Think pre is really questionable but it is vs the table whale, figured if I find a set we can stack him (unless he makes a set too obv). Actually wanted to vommit a bit otr but he can play AA/KK/AQ the same:
http://www.boomplayer.com/poker-hand...914_9F449D277D

Took exactly 55 minutes to rinse through this tournament, obviously really gutted with it being the biggest online mtt I have played to date.

Other MTT Results

Managed to run deep and save the day (to an extent) in the $44 PSKO 6 Max, finishing 3rd for about $2.2k total gg'ing by getting A7 in vs Q7 on 772-10 for a CL pot. Other than that managed to bubble the Big 109 with KK<33, lot of sighs all round but although it took me a good amount of time to get over the 2k exit think I still played pretty solid elsewhere which is the main thing.

Today I will be playing the $530 Re Entry WCOOP and $215 KO, have to find something soon (hopefully) and I am still very hopeful for the series, despite running really poorly to date.

Monday 21st September - Day 16

WCOOP 49 ($530 Re-Entry) - Bust

Kicked things off today with the $530 re-entry. In level 1 dropped from 5k to 4.2k losing a flip vs a short stack, then at bb100 lost A10 vs 77 pre to drop to 2.4k. Then found Kings in a spot where we see an open and a flat, I rip, called by AQ for a 6k pot to make up some ground but Ace on the flop is no help.

WCOOP 50 ($215 KO) - Bust

For the first 3 hours pretty much hung about the 5k mark which was starting stack. Lost AQ<AA pre then managed to spin back up, before this kicking off:
http://www.boomplayer.com/poker-hand...492_ED96FDB967

Figured this line pre could induce, as it did, but zero fortune.

Other MTT Results

Got an early deep run in the Hot $33 but finished 18th having chopped QQ vs 77 pre then losing AQ vs KJ. Managed to bubble the $265KO by getting Kings in pre vs AK, then rounded off the session finishing 46th in the Big $55.

Feel like I can't catch a break in anything above $200, especially in the big WCOOP's. Having two days off now which should help my mind no end, even though I just had two after getting brutalised I need these again. Back thurs for the 2k thrill and really hope we can push something through, I still have really high hopes for the series and hoping it doesn't continue to fall on its face.

Thanks for doing the write-ups, man! It's fun to read them and it's prob not always easy typing them out when you're running bad so thanks!

Hope you catch a break soon, GL

agreed ! "fun" to read !

gl with the rest grzt from the guy who crippled you in the 320 6max monday last week (K10o > 1010 i think? )

So you call yourself a game selector? BUSTED

It was the WCOOP event in his defence

Thursday 24th September - Day 19

WCOOP 58 ($530 Ultra Deep) - Bust

Really enjoy these events where you start with a load of chips despite bvlinds being bigger or going up quicker, as it means it has that "end game" feel to it throughout. This tournament came with 50k starting stack, after a couple of hours I had dropped to 21k or so due to blinds being quick and double barrels/3bets not working too well, Then an unorthodox 83o got me a double up to 43k, From where I built to over starting stack.

Then manage to spin up to double starting with this beaut:
http://www.boomplayer.com/poker-hand...594_6FF0EC8EBE

However with blinds getting bigger and a lot of steals not working, end up getting eliminated jamming A2dd with 8bb, called by AQ, no help.

WCOOP 60 (2k Thurs Thrill) - Bust

One of the events that I have been looking forward to most, got off to a poor start however with this vs a reg:
http://www.boomplayer.com/poker-hand...630_D635B53D81

Presume he wouldn't try to go for value with AK to this sizing and with an RFI of 11%, I don't see what bluffs he has that barrel all 3 streets and don't check back ott or otf due to picking up showdown value.

Grind for a fair few hours, then this:

http://www.boomplayer.com/en/poker-h...748_C4542C4510

vs a fish, fairly sure I can take the top of his range out with this sizing and think we can throw in a bunch of smaller pairs he would do this with to make it profitable as it's a bounty mtt, kind of feels like hes really trying to price himself in to a call with some of the weaker hands he chooses to get in vs us. Found it tough to win flips thus far during the series, hoping this changes for the last few days.

Other MTT Results

In the 2nd chance was really building, then set under set gg'd me vs the one guy at the table who had me covered. Found a mincash in the Big 109 & the Big 75, however managed to bubble the Big 162 for a 54k pot(!) by getting Kings in pre vs A10.

Day off again tomorrow, before back on sat/sun for the final 3 mtt's of my schedule, the $700 PSKO, the $215 Warmup and the $5k Main Event. Really hoping it's been saved up for that, been a really lousy series to date but the tides are still able to turn.

Saturday 26th September - Day 21

WCOOP 65 ($700 PSKO 6max) - Bust

Managed to drop to 6k earlyish in this through making top pair a fair amount of times but not having the best hand. It was all pretty standard stuff, then this hand allows me to bust:

http://www.boomplayer.com/poker-hand...610_324667EC28

rly standard, don't think anything else can be done in this situation.

Other MTT Results

Started at a later time so mind could be focussed for what I hoped was going to be a long night, however was cut very short. Busted the Octopus ($215 on 888) very early, got in a pretty big 3bet pot with AK, bet/jammed A23-5 just for villain to have A4, was sighing within the 30 minute mark. Achieved a mincash in the $320 SKO, whilst managing to value bet myself straight out of the $320 Second Chance event.

The past couple of weeks were summed up in the Big $22 where a reg bet/calls 67 on 1063 vs me where I have K10, no luck for a 40bb pot meaning we finish 100th or something similar.

Today is obviously a huge day, and I will be playing the $5k Main Event. I'm really hopeful that all the beats and all the brutality of the series so far is about to be redeemed on the final day (final couple of days if we make Day 3). Going to watch a video before jumping into things and reread notes to hopefully refresh my A game and bring it to light.

Busto?

Hey, jonathan check your pm

Biting the Bullet - September Results

Thought I would finally take the time to deal with past results, give an overview of how September went throughout the WCOOP:



Obviously WCOOP went pretty poorly for me, got going early on in the month but from there had a real difficult time creating anything that had a buyin of $215+, including the WCOOP Main which I one tabled for 6 hours before busting at 6am before the money on the final Sunday.

Took a week or so off, but still felt not quite with it for the 2 returning sessions. Over the period of October so far out of a possible 20 days I have played 14 sessions, all of which have been losing ones. Really hard to keep the faith during these periods, I understand during this time I haven't necessarily played my best but have definitely been playing profitably (hovering around an EV of 6.5bb/100). I need to really force my A game out and fight through this rut, I'm in the biggest amount of makeup I have ever been in (almost 400 ABI downer) but these are the times you learn the most, time to embrace the pain and graft my way out.

Keep it up OP, really enjoying your thread and your honest after sessions reports.

std downer with that abi just keep your head straight and grind i had -20k september grinding it out as well.

October in Review

Unfortunately couldn't come up with any words beginning with o meaning sad or negative



Sad that we earn the fish bowl status, but as you can see my itm % hasn't really lowered compared to usual - just ran v. poorly when itm.

Thanks for the positive messages, even had a couple of pm's saying to keep the battle strong which are very nice and encouraging to read. Currently sat in 34k makeup so really hoping to axe away at it this month, and have some goals towards that:

> Change two of my stats for the better
Don't really fancy saying what stats these are as otherwise people who I clash with are going to be aware of how I'm balancing, but I certainly have a couple of areas of which I am looking to improve.

> Gain 9k fpp's on PS - Quest for Supernova!
Obviously the recent changes implemented by Stars make this less of a bonus, however I did read that first time Supernovas won't be effected by the changes should they reach it for next year, I expect I'm in a very small camp of people minorly effected by these new updates to the system. I have 82k points for the year, hoping to hit 100k meaning I have to average 9k points per month for the next two months to make it.

>Continue to avoid Skype, forums and facebook whilst grinding
I felt this creep into my play a little after WCOOP was done, I must have been a bit like meh. Since then I have been able to refocus and ensure I have no distractions for the grind, I must ensure this is maintained.

>For each weekly review have a presentation prepared
My coaching of a small stakes stable is on going and I'm really enjoying it, think we have picked up some great recruits. A fair few sessions recently have been going through hh's hoping for something to come up, so I am looking to have something prepared with thebigdog09 for every session, looking at areas the guys need help with the most to make them stronger and stronger.

>Win $10k on the month
Quite a big ask but hoping to really claw away at makeup this month as more recreationals hit the tables during the winter months.

Keep grinding mate and it will turn around!

GL this month!

Im in a very similar position with VPPS. Think it's worth it really. Pretty sure I saw there is no monthly requirement for supernova as of next year, so can keep it for the year and not worry about losing it after a few low volume months (I think)!! Also seems a shame to not push for the last few k.

Just know you are going to have a big bink soon before the year closes out! So keep at it.

Sunday Motivation

This is without doubt the biggest sum of makeup I have been in both ABI wise and $$ wise. However I wouldn't change this sort of moment should I be given the opportunity. These are the moments you learn the most about yourself and improve as a player. It's so easy to be playing you're A game when you are printing money on a daily basis, but that all changes once your back is against the rope and you are stumbling in an attempt to string some deep runs together, getting denied at every opportunity.

Every player needs situations like this to thrive on. Whether this battle takes 1 extra week to turn it around or 1 year, once I cross that golden bridge I shall acknowledge it was worth every minute of that fight to become better equiped for future wars, to show my true grit and determination and understand that regardless how much the game tries to kick you out of the arena, you are able to re enter and defeat it.

This isn't even about Sundays. If you are in this line of work and aren't super motivated on this special day then you are in the wrong career. Sundays always give yoou the opportunity to reach out and grab that golden ticket with a little bit of magic. It's about the Mondays of the week, after being kicked down and defeated by a big sunday being up and ready to play to the best of your abilities, not missing registration for the 8 rebuy the following day. Being kicked down but continuing to put in all that work day after day so you are readily prepared to give yourself the best opportunities for when sunday comes back around, ready for the war zone once again.

GL to all the warriors out there both for these wonderful Sundays but for the long battles that we inevitably face up to without cowering or taking the easy route out.