Feb results, on to March

I restrained from playing any 2/4 in February, and stuck with my grinding 1/2 and it went really well. I tilted less this month than ever before, but part of that was running well and playing fewer hands also.

End results were about +12kish at 1/2, + 1200 rakeback in 31,000 hands.

My goal is to make at least $10,000 a month every month this year after rakeback and bonuses, so I'm doing well so far.

March has been great so far also, I have been running hot as the sun and crushing the games. Part of it is game selection as well and just avoiding tables filled with solid regs. I'm up like 8500 or something in 10k hands which is ridiculous, almost all at 1/2.

I have been thinking more about concepts lately, about things like the importance of position and just playing hands creatively in certain spots in order to give good players looks they don't see often, as well as put them in spots that make me uncomfortable when I'm put in them. Also playing more posflop and not getting two spewy preflop, as well as thinking a lot about stack to pot ratio.

Have a great month all,

Pete

First update of '09!

Poker is going well. I made some key adjustments in my game after a blah November and the last two months have been killer, with more monies in fewer hands.

I've still had a hard time at 2/4 any time I've taken a shot as the 2/4 games on Cake are pretty damn tough, so I'm going to stick with 1/2 for now and not play any 2/4 in February.

January results were +12kish at 1/2, -3kish at 2/4, +1500 rakeback in 35k hands or so. I'll take it! :)

Pete

Another update

Hi all. Thanks for those who posted comments on my last post and actually still look at this from time to time. Poker is going great for me now. I have been making 10k+ month playing 50k-60k hands of Cake 1/2NL 6-max a month (9 tables at a time)...it is amazing how my game has changed even since spring...I am continuing to learn and improve, as I still think I have a long way to go...but it's crazy to think earlier this year I was struggling to make $1000 a month.

I am active on the Stox low limit boards, and am a Stox, Leggo, DC, and CR member still. Leggo is my favorite, DC my 2nd fav.

I hope all you guys who still have my blog address are doing well and poker is treating you well. (Glad to earn you some rb bonus Noel - you so owe me! haha)

Best wishes to you all, and thanks for all the support and help when I was struggling at this game the most.

Pete

Quick update

I doubt anyone reads my blog anymore, but if you care, a quick update on me...I just moved up to playing 200NL and this will be my first full month at it. I hope to make $8000. We'll see! :)

Good luck all,

Pete

Break even...

Played 1000 hands of 50NL full ring tonight and won a little over a buyin, but lost that much playing some heads up. Anyways, I know the cards will break my way sooner or later. This hand sums up how I've been running lately, but things will change and I will start to make good money again soon. Time and again I get it in for full stacks way ahead, and sooner or later my Sklansky bucks will turn into real money. Lol.

http://www.pokerhand.org/?2060940

Frustrating night

Down like 2-3 buyins after playing 3500+ hands of NL50 6-max on FT today. I thought I had been playing too cautiously lately so I tried to be more aggressive and pick my spots today, and I think I played well for the most part but not much went my way. Here are some hands:

1) I almost never slowplay sets on the flop but this seemed like a good time. Bit me in the ass, too.

http://www.pokerhand.org/?2055831

2) Villain was playing 38/16...thoughts?

http://www.pokerhand.org/?2055833

3) I'm so bad.

http://www.pokerhand.org/?2055838

4) Aces go down in flames yet again.

http://www.pokerhand.org/?2055841

5) Don't even know what I'm doing here.

http://www.pokerhand.org/?2055844

6) LOL Quadaments I play so bad why am I calling the turn and playing so weak.

My aces also lost to Q9o but I'm sick of posting stuff so let's just call it a night. Good luck at the tables all,

Pete

Still alive!

I haven't posted here in forever!

It's been a crazy last few months poker wise. November was my worst month ever as a player, as I broke even for the month with rakeback, meaning I actually lost a couple hundred bucks playing cash games. My confidence was ravaged, and I took the hit really badly. My Cardrunners membership expired and I didn't renew because I hadn't been taking the time to watch the videos and devote time to my game, and I was suffering. I decided to try and just grind out some profit in December playing tight in full ring and just being solid to get myself going again. I grinded out some profit but then had a day where I lost several buyins playing on Full Tilt and Cake and played some SNGs for the hell of it and won them. So then I suddenly decided that this short term variance meant I must play SNGs and they would be the key to my survival! I did well in them after reading Collin Moshman's 2+2 book and won about $900 in December playing a limited amount.

In January I kept playing SNGs and even joined SNG Icons. I also got a free subscription to Stox Poker through a Pocket Fives promotion. I played SNGs the first half of January to about a 10% ROI and modest profits at the 10's and 20's. But I could not stay away from the cash games and eventually returned. I vowed to dedicate myself to studying the game and fixing the leaks and flaws in my game as these limits (50NL) should be VERY beatable, even on Full Tilt! I watched several Stox videos my Cottonseen, Hunter Bick, and Leatherass and thought I identified several key leaks in my game. I returned to the tables and started to crush. I have had a great January, up around $2000 now not including rakeback. My goal each month is to make enough money to cover my wife and my car payment and save a little bit, which ends up being about $1000, so doubling that is obviously great to me.

I have since renewed my Cardrunners membership for another 6 months and have dedicated myself to improving my game, and watching both CR and Stox videos every week to improve, fix leaks, and keep making money. I have had a fun month, aside from the last two days which have been a bit of a downswing, but I have also been working on staying cool mentally when bad times come, and not just abandoning ship and taking up a new game! :)

I have learned a lot over the past few months and it feels good to put it into words. Thank you for reading.

Pete