Marathon Saturday Commentary (3/13/2010)

Three goals tonight:

1)  Don’t lose your temper.

2)  10-12 table Steady the entire session.

3)  Try to make sure at least half of the tables are NORMAL SPEED.

Sounds easy right?  Yeah sure……..

Since I’ve pretty much hit rock bottom with online poker these goals are essential.  I can’t get mad it’s minus EV.  I have to accept that I’m never going to win again.  I’ll lose to every two outer, and if I happen to win it’s a bonus.  I can’t keep getting mad over what I can’t control.

Instead of:

OK I’m in with the best hand….. please no ace please no ace please no ace………. FUCK RIVER ACE I’M GOING TO THROW A CHAIR ACROSS THE ROOM

TRY:

Ok I’m in with the best hand, I did my job; the outcome is irrelevant.  Take some notes and move on, REMAIN IN CONTROL OR LOG.

And the thing is I’m losing some money when I freak out, it’s a leak.  I can’t control the cards, but I can control how I react.  I need to stay focused, keep taking notes, organize my tables logically, and constantly scan for profitable tables to join (and unprofitable tables to phase out).

12 tabling steady is going to be essential.  I haven’t been organized.  Tables have been flying all over the place anywhere from 6 to 14.  Tonight I’m going to keep in alphabetically and 12.  TWO IN EACH SLOT, double-stacked on top of each other.  When a table becomes unprofitable I will pull the table, put that slot on notice and REPLACE IT. 

So if I completely lose again tonight and stick to these goals I need to be happy with myself.  I don’t know if I actually have the maturity to accomplish these goals; but here it goes.

Number 3 is also important.  Too many fast tables are flying around.  Try to search for tables that are normal speed as a priority.  They are harder to find, but when you do find them they are worth the search.  Less stress is always better.

9:00 p.m

LOG-TOWN here we goes again.

9:40 p.m

Table 1 AK < AK all in pre.  Flushes the river somehow.  That made sense.  I wish I had a horseshoe up my ass as well.

10:00 p.m

JJ < QK all in pre. THANKS.  IF I played QK off all ill in pre a gun would come out of the monitor and start shooting at me.  Must nice to play SHIT and win every time.

10:20 p.m

14-tabling.   5-hour energy + techno .  I think I need to slow down my steals sometimes.  Seems like a leak; it’s ok to sometimes check the flop on a steal if the guy is REALLY tight and you missed whatever.

10:30 p.m

QQ < AA all in pre; nothing I could do there, what should I lay it because this site is rigged?

10:40 p.m

LOSE top set on table 12… runner runner idiot wins unbelievable.  Doom-switch never ends.   That was fucking sick.  Teach me how to beat someone’s top set, when I flop a top pair.  PLEASE TEACH ME.

Table 1 20 pot lost AQ < KQ all iln pre.  Ok that’s like 4-5 bad beats in a row.  Doom switch officially over 30 hours now

Table 5.  KK < A10 all in pre.  40 dollar fucking pot gone with the river ace.  Thanks again

Can’t update much with this many tables but I think I’m pretty controlled for already getting fucked over about 5 times in a row as mentioned above, feeling ok

11:10 p.m

ALL IN PRE AA no matter what happens you did the right thing here.  It held for once in my life, tripled up there.  Still down from earlier obviously.   Going to take more than one hold

Another table AQ < J4 all in pre.  -$30 wow “running normal” lasted an entire 20 seconds

Another enormous all in with two pair lost on the river.  The river counterfeited my two-pair making it worthless.  Another river in paradise.

11:20 p.m

Down over a $125 screwed beyond belief again.   The strand of beats I typed above is a joke.  Anyone else would have never played poker again 40 hours ago.

Looks like I’m on page 3, another page of bad beats coming I’m guessing

11:30 p.m

Doubled up to around $50 on table 5.  Flopped trips and it held up; I feel lucky.  You know you’re fucked up in the head when you flop trips with a short-stack, your hand holds, and you feel LUCKY NOT TO LOSE.

12:00 a.m

Another full buy in gone on a complete suckout; $15 all in on the flop and he rivers the flush with 36 suited.  Can we at least pretend the site isn’t rigged?  When you doom-switch an account you can at least make it so they aren’t sucked out I dunno like ONE IN SIX TIMES ?  Something like that?  Rather than every disgusting time. What a shit night.

Just doubled on table 1.  Dodged a suck-out str8 draw; no clue how.

Doubled on table 6 as well flopping a top pair. 

12:20 a.m

Devastation screams across a war-torn landscape.  Meanwhile, on table 6 I JUST PULLED OFF MY SIGNATURE MOVE

ALL IN WITH AK CALLED PRE BY A5.   Turn five, river FIVE.  I LOVE IT THAT’S SO MEEEE BABY.

I understand the five on the turn, but the river as well?  I GET IT POKERSTARS.  I understand your point: A5 is better than AK I fucking get it ok!!!

WOULD CERTEAINLY RECOMMEND GETTING SCREWED OVER ON POKERSTARS AGAIN.   THE FIVE ON THE RIVER RUINED MY LIFE BUT TURNED OUT TO BE VERY SOCIABLE.  WAS ALSO VERY PORTABLE; GREAT FOR SHIPPING. A++++++++

EXCELLENT!!!

TABLE 1 all in pre with AA HOLDS.  Seriously?  I’m going to go call a moderator; that is bull-shit.  You can’t fool me, I know I’m still doom-switched.   One right doesn’t make up for 50 atrocities troll-stars.

12:35 a.m

Down to 6 tables.  I doubled on a few, and phased out a bunch that were 100% useless.  Taking a second to breathe before I add a bunch up to 12 again.  ALSO I CAN TYPE HERE!!!  Looking around I’m hovering around $4 on 4 of these tables.   Mostly the result of hours of abuse.  I feel like the Roman Empire decaying or something; but I refuse to stack them up.   Why?  They are minimized risk in a way.  I’m still getting the rake with shit on the table.  Also my range and push equity increases.   Should be interesting to see how they work out… Uh-oh AA dealt on table 1, I only have $9 behind me lol.  All in pre!!  $10!!!  Doubled up to $20 SWEET!!!  That’s uh why you stack up.  Then again my 4-bet probably isn’t called there without the super-short stack; so who knows.  Especially since he was holding J9 off.  Not a clue why he was even opening with that.  The majority of the players here seem to play with their eyes closed anyway, they still happen to run a thousand times better than me; so it’s all good for them.

Doubled to $35 on table 1 and left.  That was a quick $10 to 35.  All in pre on table 6 with KK… DAMNIT!   HE CALLS MY $10 ALL IN PRE WITH 44 vs KK and hits 4 on the river to win WOW.   See only $10 gone.  What the hell is the point of even stacking to full on this site?  My KK loses to a 2-outer anyway so what the fuck, might as well only have $10 on and keep the rake.  Absolute clownage.   3 of my tables have about $8; I’m stacking them in one group.  They bring me great pleasure.  I kind-of enjoy the challenge of getting them “out of the red”.  Turning them into respectable tables; meanwhile everyone on the table hates me so lol.  Just stacked one up to $16 with some idiot playing K5, I think I found some very interesting things out there. 

1:00 a.m

Doubled on table 4 to $35 (leaving it).  It was one of the tables I had $8 on, never bought up.  Pretty cool stuff.  I’m a little lazy getting more tables right now; but I’m actually having fun bringing back these few doomed tables.  It’s quite lol.  Maybe stars awards dwindling stacks or something to make it more fun for the donks.

Lost a buy in on table 6 vs the same fool that sucked me out with 44.  Unreal.  I have to 4-bet him with 99 there; no choice but to embrace doom-switch, his AJ hit.

Just doubled to $35 on table 1 and leaving when the blind hits.  Just made a sick read pushing $12 all in on the turn with ace high.  He turned over the missed flush draw.  Wow he missed it.

1:25 a.m

JJ < 88 all in pre.  Dude somehow has four of a kind by the river.  I get it stars 88 IS A BETTER HAND THAN JJ ALL IN PRE.   I didn’t need the 4^th fucking 8 on the river; it’s a bit of an over-kill.   Next hand JJ dealt all in again.  This time it gets 2 callers and somehow holds.  Leaving with $50, whatever.   2 idiots calling with Ace rags.

Pulled one of the doomed tables to $16, close to respectability again haha.  I now have a permanent quarter of my monitor reserved for “doomed table space”.  All of the tables here are fighting for their lives with under $15 in chips lol.  No stacking up fuck that.   I’M BRINGING THEM BACK FROM NOTHING!!

1:35 a.m

Joining a table called “Smiley”.  I have a feeling nothing but bad thing will happen there.   It will probably end up being the worst mistake I made all night.   Just brought one of my doom tables to $26 and back to respectability.  I am having a blast here.  No clue what my BR is but this is so fun lol.  It’s so me, I like to fix HORRIBLE SITUAITONS.  JUST LIKE THE CHICKS I DATE.   Just lost $10 on one of the doomed tables AK < KK pre, great cooler my $10 you piece of shit site.  Table returns to normal status.   You can’t doom-switch an asshole as fast!

1:45 a.m

Just brought a doomed table back to respectability tripling up pushing 77 like a donk all in pre.  I flopped quads hahahaha.  Thanks to the super-user bumping the action for me with KK lols.   Back to 12 tables again including the doomed slot; things are picking up again.  I just typed out “DOOOOOOM “ on one of the doomed table.

Just tripled to $60 on table 6 pushing a nut flush draw on the flop.  I turned a fucking flush; miracles.  Simultaneously  AA clobbered by 910 offsuit of all hands.  -$20 there.   Amazing play clown-box.

Just doubled to $45 on a table AK > A10 all in pre.  Where is the ten?  There must be a mistake?  I know the guy was quite shocked he is used to hitting that.  Very strange pot there.  I was first to open on the button with AK ; meant to raise to “2.50”  instead raised to $25… so the dude cold calls $20 with A10, I have no clue why he called that.

3:12 a.m

Should have tripled from $10 to $30 on one of the doomed tables; but idiot calls all in pre $10 push with Q10 and hits a queen.  It’d be nice to I don’t know, be serious for one time?  Like a normal poker table AK holding against trash every once in a while?

 Getting pretty hungry; still playing around 12 tables.  I feel really comfortable; I’m not going to look at my bankroll because I don’t want to be discouraged or distracted; I have no clue if I’m up or down.  I would guess around even so probably down -$200 or whatever.      

3:30 a.m OR 2:30 a.m WTF?

Wow this totally just screwed with my head.  My computer says “3:30 a.m”, I then look down at my phone which reads “2:30 a.m”.  Day-light savings, played right through it!   So I’VE GAINED AN HOUR OF MY LIFE BACK SWEET!!! THIS IS SO COOL. 

2:30 a.m (yes I’ve gone back in time)

For the first time in the history of my shitty commentary on my blog you will notice it went from “3:12 a.m to 2:30 a.m”.  Now this is some pretty cool stuff.   

All in preflop table 2 with QQ, nailed the set beating down the treacherous AK.  Was that a race won?  Maybe I had to go back in time to unlock the doom-switch; IT WAS THE ONLY WAY???? 

All in with AK $20 preflop on table 4.  I lose to QQ god damnit.  So much for the going back in time theory to set things right.  But I’m not willing to give up my hope yet.  Since I’ve gone back in time I have haven’t run BAD.   I’ve won a race and lost a race; I can live with that. 

Meanwhile techno-base FM (House and Trance) internet radio station is the ABSOLUTE BOMB.  These beats are awesome.  Ok I’m a dork, but mind-blown here.  It has really made this session that much more enjoyable no matter the outcome.   I have a feeling this station is going to be an integral part of my online poker sessions going forward whenever I play. 

Table 4 all in QQ with over pair on the flop.  Tripled up there.  All in table 6 with AK; doubled up against 99, WOW.  Can I stay back in time forever?  This is fucking amazing.   So keeping my fingers crossed, but since going back in time I can suddenly win 2 out of 3 races; and win with a cooler in my favor.  This is unheard of for me.  Some crazy shit is going down right now.

Meanwhile, my 3 doomed tables have pathetically dropped to $7, $7, and $12 hahaha.

$15 all in pre on table 5 with QQ.  Dude MISSES WITH AK WOW.  3 OUT OF 4 ON races since going back in time.  1 out of 50 previously.   Meanwhile all in on the flop on table 1 with over-pair AA, The idiot hits a suck-out straight draw on the turn, such BS; apparently not immune to suck-out str8 draws in the past.   I know calling with 56 there pre was really necessary; typical stars would reward that.

And in the midst of all the anger; Windows 7 is so advanced that it DOESN’T EVEN AUTOMATICALLY SET THE CLOCK BACK.  MY SHIT 2-YEAR OLD PHONE AUTOMATICALLY DID IT FIRST.  WELL DONE MICROSOFT!  Way to stay ahead of the curve!

3:00 a.m?

Just sprinted upstair to grab a cliff bar and drink.  No need for an official break; will just relax with 8 tables for a 10-15 minutes.  Meanwhile I just got kicked around on few tables.  Have to remember the value of bluffs basically hits the floor at this hour.   Steals should be used more selectively and primarily to get paid later.  You’re getting called no matter what; everyone wants to be a fucking hero at 4:17 a.m, or 3:17 a.m, whatever the hell time it is.  Unless you have KK+ then everyone folds of course.

Speaking of KK, dealt one on table 8….. picked up a measly pot.   See what did I tell you?

3:30 a.m

The tables are pathetic right now; not sure why the traffic is such shit.  Profitable tables are beyond rare; and new tables just aren’t forming.   Meanwhile looking at my doomed tables; they all happen to be the most unprofitable tables as well.   I’ll just let them go extinct themselves ($8, $8, $7, $10).  Some of them are so bad I might just pull them before they die out.

Back to 14 tables, this should end with a war.  Will update later, very busy.

Double up AK > JJ all in pre.  Another race won. 

4:00 a.m

12 tabling comfortably.  This is the 8 hour straight mark.  A wave of exhaustion just hit me for the first time.  I think I have another hour in me, but if I do anything really stupid I will pull myself.   I’ve been playing controlled so I should be fine.  This trance station is still pumping out solid beats though; no commercials as well.

5:00 a.m

Well I really feel comfortable.  I could probably grind out another hour or so; but I’m going to leave comfortable and on a good note.  Actually profited overall despite the rocky start way earlier, hopefully the awful losing streak stays ended.   Leaving when the blinds hit on all 10 tables.

All in $10 pre on one of the doomed tables.  Of course the donk has AA, thanks for the kick in the face for the road, amazing.   It’s always the guy with the 50% vpip so funny.  Actually it usually isn’t, but when it is it’s 10 times more disgusting.   Knowing they’re playing half the deck, but get dealt AA when you push with JJ, so sick.

5:13 a.m

LOGGED.  Sort of happy the clocks were set back an hour; I feel like a scumbag going to sleep at 6:15 a.m, but 5:15 a.m seems acceptable for some reason.

After thoughts

I feel things have stabilized somewhat with the 12 hours played combined Saturday.  +$31 the first 3 hours earlier; and +$50 from 9:00p.m- 6:15 a.m.  I felt like I played much better than the results show from 9:00 p.m- 6:00 a.m, but I was running atrocious earlier.  I’m happy with it considering I was down more than -$125 at one point.

HEM claims the last 2k hands played tonight I ran -$173 EV.  So I’m assuming you have to play pretty damn good to still make +$28 in 2k hands when running -$173 EV.  I’m not sure what it completely means, but I think it’s very unlucky.  Going to have to google EV tomorrow.  I’m guessing EV represents what I should have earned on average if I ran like a normal person.  It also claims I have -$667 EV in the last 20,000 hands (this includes the last of the 200NL nightmare sessions). 

Anyways, I’m very happy with my session late night because:

1)  I feel like this is the best I’ve played in the last month.  I’m really starting to see a lot.

2)  This is the best emotional control I’ve had ever (last 4 hours of tonight).  You will notice a lot of sarcasm above, but I didn’t scream once, I didn’t throw anything across the room, and I did well recovering from bad beats.

3)  I showed the ability to handle 12+ tables comfortably.  Not once did I struggle with information overload (except when I clicked $25; instead of $2.50, which somehow worked out as he called all in pre with A10.)

4)  I adjusted to 100NL.  I picked many differences from 200NL and made adjustments.

5)  THE LOSING STREAK IS OVER.  I’ve never been so happy profiting +$80 in 12 hours!  Just as important though I gained a nice amount of VPPS, which are as important as profit.  4 Hours tomorrow should give me 20 for the weekend.  I’m so happy I didn’t go out and drink tonight; really feel like I figured things out!

-bag

Comments

[Yorkshire Pud]

EV is exactly what you described it as there. For example you make $10 profit from winning AA vs KK you would on average win this encounter 82% of the time so your EV figure would show -$1.80 HEM for this particular hand, meaning you should only have won $8.20 instead of the $10 you did.

[baglife]

Yorkshire,

Thanks for the comment. So let's say you lost a net -$10 losing AA vs KK all in.... You would normally win 82% of the time there, so would your EV figure in HEM show up as -$8.20?

Another thing I'm a little unclear on is the true value of using the EV to measure how good or bad you're running. Correct me if I'm wrong, but the "EV" doesn't seem to tell the full story. It really doesn't account for "cooler" hands right? If you're dealt JJ+ 5 times in a row and dominated every time that really doesn't show up as running bad, but it's quite unlucky?

[Dubspoke]

EV stat is relatively worthless and one I rarely pay attention to for precisely the reason Yorkshire mentions and your response to it.

In regards to getting called lightly...you are a shortstacker. many of your villains won't be paying attention to the TYPE of shorstacker you are and therefore will call you relatively lightly which is what you want, isn't it?

If i was playing you blind and hold KQ, I may very well snap you off as I would put your range as 88+, ATs+, AJo+, KJs+. maybe as far down as KJo (probably not). Which puts him at around a 40/60 or perhaps a coinflip. In this case, it was a coinflip. In other words, the same as AK vs QQ, or KQ vs JJ or AQ vs TT. All very similar.

And why am I helping you? I have a very strong dislike for shorstackers ;p

[FkCoolers]

Play deep stacked instead. It's much more fun to float two streets and stick in a large raise at the end when a card comes that completes multiple draws. Then watch your opponent time bank/fold 9 out of 10 times.

[baglife]

Dubs,

Yeah I mean good point, that is what I want. It still takes a lot of maturity to not lose your temper and go bat-shit if you lose to five all-in 2 outers in a row, or if you lose 20+ buy-ins because nothing can go right in 20+ hours. As for your help maybe you don't actually hate me, maybe it's deep down a tough-love relationship? I don't know lol.

Right now I'm short-stacking, but I consider myself a poker player above all. I've played full buy in since I started playing poker (over 3 years ago now). I shifted to some 180 turbos for a month or so at the start of the year, then I began short-stacking. I enjoy the challenge of learning new formats and becoming successful in them. I still have a lot of work to do, but I feel like I'm making enormous strides every week.

That being said I still research full-stacking strategies in my free time. If Stars eliminates the short-stack I will probably drop to 50NL full buy-in. Unless I really feel like things are going well, then I will play on another site to short-stack.

Ultimately my goal is to get myself to a point where I can QUIT corporate with no regrets THIS SUMMER SOMEHOW. This means making as much as my day job playing poker. I really don't care what format I have to play to reach this goal. When I short-stack I can play 12 tables and get the rake-back bonus on a higher limit at the same time. I also don't need to dump 5 grand into PokerStars to feel like I'm not wasting my time. This mean's I should have less pressure to profit in the long-run. If I ever get to Supernova I could probably play break even in a month and make as much as I do at my current day job.

Like I said I have a lot of work to do, but I see a dim light at the end of the tunnel. I got beat-down pretty good during that last 200NL short-stack episode. That was really stupid of me especially from a bankroll standpoint. I was very ahead of myself and still might be, but I had it coming. Sometimes you have to be smashed to learn something.

-bag

[Lucypher]

Bags, Congrats on turning a corner. You have done several things right recently and those changes will help you as you proceed. Your game seems solid but you have to continue to work on your self control. If you can win the battle of self, you will definitely be a winner at poker.