September 12, 2014

Another 2 buy in loss. I am on one of those paths of icy destruction with cards. I won't bother with the details of bad beats, nobody wants to hear about those.

I will take 2 or 3 days off to let the losses fade and when I come back to the table hope that some of my big hands hold up. If I continue to lose sessions in this manner I may have to call an end to the experiment. My bankroll isn't big enough to withstand a string of losing sessions like the last two.

Venetian 1/2 session - 5 hours - bought in for $400, cash out 0

Sepetmber 16, 2014

No wifi at my new place, so won't be able to make frequent posts.

I have decided that buying in for $200 is too much for my bankroll, so the last 4 sessions I bought in for $120 and have had some success with it. I am forced to tighten up, which cuts down on variance. Although my big hands can still get cracked, losing $240 instead of $400 is better for BR safety.

I am currently playing 2 sessions a day, morning at Venetian, evening at Ballys. I have been having good luck at Ballys, and last night the ultimate luck box - I hit a royal flush and was given a $500 bonus, along with $100 to everyone at the table - needless to say everyone was smiling and happy

I have made a recovery from the $800 downswing, and I hope to chip up slowly.

Laptop bettery running low, time to play poker....

havent read all but was a nice read, gl with your life bro. poker will eventually pay off if you make the +ev math-wise plays.

September 21, 2014

Rare day with wifi working so can post a short entry.

Poker days are up and down. I played a few tournaments, chopped a small one at bally's for $543 ($65 entry). Played the $125 at Aria twice, not making it far in either.

Cash games are fun, but the swings make it hard to predict how any night will go. I notice my game strategy/tactics evolving, attempting to adjust style dependent on table and how cards are running. State of mind is a big factor in how things go, always trying to stay positive and focused.

Caught a nasty cold a couple of days ago. I wobbled over to Bally's this morning for the $20,000 free roll. I was out of it, felt awful, and being sandwiched between a chatty dealer and a loud drunk did not help things. I called an all in bet preflop with a garbage hand so that I could get home before things felt worse. Probably won't be until Wednesday before I can play again.

September 24, 2014

Slept a whole lot the past couple of days and appear to be on the mend. Yesterday afternoon I was tired of laying in bed so I wandered to the Venetian and played a few hours. With just a couple of days off I was surprised how much I missed playing poker. I felt happy just to be feeling better and challenging myself with a fascinating card game.

During my downtime I realized that although I have had some freaky good luck with single hands (quads, royal flush, straight flush, etc), full sessions seem to have had more bad luck than good luck. Of course I am making mistakes along the way and my skills are not top of the hill, but I have had a lot of big hands get cracked which have cost me quite a few buy ins. Some of the dealers at the Venetian are getting to know me and last week two of them asked how I had been doing because they know I have been getting beat up (?!) I was surprised that 1) they know who I am, and 2) that they can put a face to individual hands and recall them. I would think the job of dealing would get so repetitive that all of the hands and faces would blur together and it would be almost impossible to have an accurate memory of what had happened the day before.

I replied to one of the dealers "so you know what has been going on lately?" She said "yes, I gave you some tough hands so I was happy I dealt quads to you yesterday". I laughed and told her I try not to let it bother me, and just keep coming back day after day and having fun.

So while sick in bed it occurred to me things are going to turn around, that eventually I am going to have full sessions go my way. And I am happy to say yesterday's and today's session went well, and I can finally say I am running good for more than just a hand or two. $750 profit in 2 sessions of 1/2 is above average for me. I am still gunning for the $1000 session, but winning almost $400 back to back makes up for some of the bad beat black eyes. I don't expect to run good every session, but having two in a row gives me the feeling that I have put some water on what was an out of control fire.

I also had the insight that most of the players I meet at the tables are intelligent, competitive, and some are just way out there brilliant. I always tell myself to respect every opponent, but at a poker table it is pretty easy to do. The words "fish", "donkey", etc, have no place inside my mind. I am simply facing off each time against worthy opponents, and may the best man win. I also dislike the two plus two terminology of "hero/villain" - I refuse to think of myself as a hero, and unless the dude I am facing off against has robbed an old lady to get his poker roll, I won't think of him as a villain. Always give due respect and life's illusions won't sting as much when the veil is lifted.


Player Profile 1 - morning reg at Venetian, I call him Jose. I have sat with Jose 4 or 5 times. He is a very patient player. He has a limited range of pre flop hands, and folds 85% of the time. He mostly limps pre flop, and if he raises it is easy to put him on AA/KK/QQ. I feel somewhat averse to playing any hands with Jose because he gives such little action, and thus he doesn't really deserve to get any. But sometimes I find myself in a hand with him and if he is in past the flop I know that he has the nuts or close to it.

A couple of weeks ago I was involved in a hand with him where I had top pair with a good kicker, but the board was paired on the flop with a low card, maybe 44 or 55. Both checked on the flop and I had position and bet $10 on the turn. He started to hem and haw and finally threw in the definition of a crying call. He mumbled "alright, I shouldn't but....". I laughed to myself at this horrible bit of acting. His read on me must have been "very stupid player, gullible, and will bet big if I act weak" He checked to me on the river and I of course checked, knowing he most likely had trips. When he saw me checking he immediately started to complain in a not too serious tone “why no bet?! I can't believe you don't bet”, as he shows me his trips. I told him “I know you are a very good player, if you are in at the river I know I am beat.” He did not seem to hear me say that as he raked in the small pot.

This morning I was sitting with Jose again and I was in the big blind. One limper from ep, Jose is in the small blind and calls. I decide to call blind. Flop comes 5510. I look down and see KK - oops I have no idea what Jose is holding, so I decide to check to the EP limper, who also checks. Turn comes a Q, Jose checks, I decide to bet $10 to see if my botched hand with KK is any good. EP calls, and Jose does the same acting/crying call as two weeks ago. He finally throws the $10 in the pot while I am laughing to myself because I don't think he remembers that past hand. I know 100% he is holding a 5 and of course check behind him on the river, and EP also checks. As we turn over our cards Jose says the same line “why you don't bet?!” He shows the 5 and I show him KK. “Why you don't bet KK? If you raise pref lop I fold!” I told him I called blind, thus confirming his suspicion that I am a very stupid player

Player profile 2 - boyfriend/girlfriend team at Ballys late night sessions. I have sat at the table three times with both of these players, I call them David and Sarah. Both play a sophisticated, fashionable style - aggressive from position, C betting and double barreling, and giving up when shown resistance if they are holding air. They play slowly, deliberately, and imitate the Tom Dwan limp wristed betting motion (this visual betting technique is meant to intimidate through sight alone, like a magician and his ruses. Easy enough to dismiss for someone who knows that the senses are mere illusion, and not truth).

This is a very tough style to play against, even if it is predictable and I know what they are up to. The problem I have with it is I never know when they might be holding a good hand. I know most times they are C betting with air, but unless I am feeling fearless and pugnacious I usually won't fire back with air, afraid they might be holding a real hand the time I decide to play back. What this means is if I don't have a real hand I won't play back, and thus they get to run the table and get most of the chips.

I played with them last weekend during an all night session. The previous session I lost $200 to David when I was holding a J high flush with a K on board, to his A high flush. I had already invested $100 into the pot by the river, so calling $100 more, with a third player all in, made it too tough to fold (still wishing I was good enough to fold there). (Third player said that he had third best hand). So when I sit down at the table at 2:00am and see David and Sarah I am not too thrilled, but I nod to David to show my respect for the previous hand we played, and get ready for some tough poker. I notice David isn't doing so well tonight, but Sarah has around $800 in front of her. I know from previous sessions that whenever I raise David will isolate me if he has position by 3 betting. His read on me might be “stupid player who will call my 3 bet then fold to my cbet”. Knowing this, I decide I am going to play back at him and if he happens to have a hand, tough luck.

I raise blind from ep to $7. David, on the button, raises to $22. I call blind. flop comes J105. I check, David bets $35. I look down and see 10 3 os. I put David on air (wishful thinking) and reraise $40 more. David stares me down for at least 60 seconds. I am convinced my 10 3 is good here so feel confident, and when he finally folds I feel pretty good. I think about showing the hand, but decide against it because I want him to go on thinking that I only play solid hands. I win one more small pot from David and then go home a small winner after finishing a cup of clam chowder.

September 25, 2014

Woke up earlier than normal and decided to play poker instead of lay in bed. Walking to the Venetian at 4:00am reminded me of walks in small towns - silence, passing an occasional person walking their dog, and the wonderful thoughts which arrive to fill in the gaps of empty space.

Within 20 minutes I lost $150 with QQ. A player who I had determined was a gambler willing to bet big with any pair or high cards (watched him call an all in bet with top pair 10 kicker) opened the betting to $15. Player behind called and I raise to $60 with QQ, fairly certain the gambler is going to call. He does, but I am in for a surprise when the player who called behind raises all in. Best I can hope for is AK, and knowing the gambler is likely to call I decide to push all my chips in. Gambler calls and shows AQ, while the all in raiser has KK. I don't suck out, rebuy, not feeling too bad and focused on trying to rebuild my stack.

I get chipped down to under $100 and consider stopping before losing 2 buyins, but I win a few small and medium sized pots and soon have $250 in front of me. From there I grind for hours and when I leave at 1:00pm I chip out with a $205 profit. I felt proud about the effort and the ability to score a profit after taking the early hit.

Player Profile - This morning the Iron Man sat down at my table. I played with him a couple of days ago and watched him steam roll the table and chip out with almost 4 racks. It was an impressive display of talent and will by a poker superstar/genius.

Today I was happy to see him sit down with a starting stack of $300 and I anticipated witnessing a barrage of great play by him. While he did play great, the cards were at odds with his presence and he took two bad beats and was quickly down $600. He then started to lose his composure and called an all in bet for $300 with second pair and a gut shot against a set. Miraculously he hit his gutshot on the river, and seeing him with $600 I could sense the impending doom for the rest of us. The cards however continued to be against him, and even I pulled $100 from his stack when he made an ill advised bet of $75 on the river when I was holding a full house, which the board made painfully obvious. He continued to get chipped down and when he had $200 left he decided to change to a 2/5 table.

September 28. 2014

Ended the month on a 2 day downswing. I had a 4 session win streak snapped off from coolers and bad beats -

calling an all in bet on the turn for $150 with a jack high flush. Opponent turns over Q high, hoping for a diamond and hits it on the river.

Making a K high flush on the turn, losing to the nut flush, for $150.

Raise to $10 with AA. One caller. Flop comes K86, 2 clubs (and one spade). I bet $20, opponent raises to $65. I reraise to $140. Opponent pushes all in. I started session with $140, and slowly worked my stack to $310, so I have $170 left. In this spot most players have a set and I should fold. But my instincts tell me AK or club draw, so I decide to call. Am relieved when opponent turns over AK of spades. I am looking good to pull in a $620 pot. Turn and river bring 2 spades and my stack is wiped out.

So ending the month with the AA hand leaves a bitter taste, leaving me with a small profit for the month. I am happy I did well enough to play my first month in Vegas and come out a winner, but the amount of time put in vs the money made makes me doubt the ability to earn a living from playing $1/2. I know from reading on the forum that most opinions say you can't earn enough from $1/2. I believe a solid player could do it, but currently my skills are average at best and my luck below average - with that combination I don't fall into the group that can make it.

I could try 2/5, but from my two sessions at Bellagio the game was filled with pros who played solid and with aggression. While I found it to be fun and challenging, I can't see myself winning money unless I run good, and past experience tells me that I won't.

So that leaves me wondering if it is time to call an end to the poker experiment. I will take a couple of days off and ponder the question. I love playing poker but if I continue playing 35-40 hours a week with little to show for it, I believe my perception of the game would get dulled and the enjoyment would soon fade.

September 30, 2014

This will be the last entry of my public poker blog. I have decided to continue playing poker in Las Vegas for at least one more month, hoping variance turns in my favor. Also to no longer write about the poker experiment.