Wednesday Session (5.5.2010)

Time:  5 hours (8:45 p.m – 1:45 a.m)

5-Hour Energy:  1 Bottle:

Tables: 12

Net Loss: -$184.00

Hands Played:  3,197

Music of Choice:  TRANCE

WENT to Sleep:  4:45 a.m (5-hour energy plan gone horribly wrong)

Woke up for the day job @:  7:00 a.m

Schedule:  SCREWED

Mood:  Moderately unstable.

Well it didn't take long to start playing 12 tables again.  Everything came back at once.  Though the adjustment's were in place it really didn't matter much during these particular 5 hours.  I still lost enormous suck-out hands that I should have held in a few spots, which demolished any chance I had.

So uh how did I lose another 9 buy-ins?  For starters I will say I felt comfortable playing tonight.  I thought I played well but ran like shit the entire 5 hours.  I remember at the end of the session being scared to look at my ending bankroll thinking, OK JUST DON’T BE UNDER -$200.  I felt like I was down around -$200 so I just accepted and sort of dealt with it.  This is the least angry I have ever been losing -$184 in 5 hours, so I guess that’s an improvement?  I might as well get used to it sometime, this has been going on well over a month.

HEM claimed I was down -$102 in EV for the session, that is sadly pretty normal for me.  Also there were a few brutal coolers that HEM didn’t take into account, so I ran worse than -$102.  The session actually would have been much worse if I didn’t pull off a bum-hunt and slam someone for an +$85 pot.

So some hands:

QQ < 99 all in preflop.  -$44

81% to win there preflop.  Or on Pokerstars I mean 10% to win there pre flop.

KK < AQo all in preflop.  -$44

I was 72% to win there, but I absolutely expected to lose that.  I was up against a regular short-stacker who plays 24 tables at once who has some serious profit.  I expected to lose not because he was better than me, but because he runs like a God and sucks me out in every situation like this.  It’s like he is rewarded on bull-shit plays like this because he’s played a few million hands or whatever.  It’s unbelievable how many leaks he actually has.  So open 2x BB to $2 pre on the button.  He then pops me $6.50 pre-flop from SB with AQ off.  The BB folds, and I then push to $35 all in pre.  He instant calls the final $15.  It must be nice to have an unlimited bankroll and the support of Poker-stars.  So the clown flops TWO QUEENS on the flop as expected.  Turn ACE, ok I get it AQo is a better hand than KK all in pre.

QQ < AJ and AQ all in pre.  -$35.

74% to win there pre-flop, but I just can’t hold to save my life.  Flop comes ace and I’m dead in the water.

Notice these first three suckouts already add up to a net  $120 lost.

JJ < AQo and AJo all in pre flop.  -$57.

RIVER COMES QUEEN.  The AJ wins with a straight!

AK < TT all in pre.  -$44

AK < 88 all in pre.  -$36

 TT < QKs all in pre.  - $30

Do you know what would happen if I called an all in pre flop bet with QK suited?  A TWO HEADED DRAGON WOULD SMASH THROUGH MY WALL, DEVOUR ME, AND BURN MY FUCKING HOUSE DOWN.

JJ < 99 all in pre.  -$17. 

82% to win pre flop.  These $20 2-outer suck-out pots add up.

AQo < QQ all in pre-flop. 

Holy shit it’s a hand I was behind pre-flop!!!  Was only 30% to win there.  I thought he was making a move on the blind, it’s a standard push there with AQ.  This guy was a complete rock, but even rocks have to make moves on the blind against opponent’s who steal often.  Also, I thought my equity was at least 40% based on his range.  But I could have mis-read his range of 3-betting 8%.  I only had 200 hands on this guy tracked, but tough hand either way.

JJ < 45s and QQ all in pre. -$68

Must be nice getting dealt QQ in that spot.  This is the kind of bs that HEM doesn’t calculate in it’s EV.

77 < 9Ts all in pre.  -$20

Call a $10 all in open raise pre with 9Ts, why not?

AK < AQ off and 77 all in pre.  -$50

Can I win a pot?  He flops the seven.  Both of you can go to hell seriously.

QQ < KK all in pre.  -$40

Absolutely nothing I can do there.  I pushed his open all in, and felt pretty confident based on his 42% VPIP.  Again please go to hell getting dealt KK there.  So so sick.

99 < KK all in pre.  -$33

I opened here on 3 limpers $15 all in pre.  But of course some  clown-box limped behind with KK.  Un-real.  This one pissed me off, I actually think I typed something to him along the lines of “GH, now for the love of God can you stop playing poker?”

TT < AA all in pre.  -$30.

AKs < AA all in pre.  -$40

I spiked a king, but oh wait he has the usual AA in that ridiculous spot.

KK < 22 all in on the flop.  -$25

LOOK IT’S A TWO!!!! NICE HAND!!!

Also lost around -$30 on two combined pots calling all in on the flop in semi-bluff situations based on opponent ranges.

(will discuss later in the post)

So If I win the three hands where I’m 70%+ to win, have one less ridiculous cooler, and win one of the races above I’m suddenly a profit for the session.  This is the way things go when you short-stack this many tables at once.  The variance is insane, and you need a massive roll.  You think running like I did above is bad?  Imagine running like that for 14 out of 15 sessions; that is exactly what you have to be prepared for.  It is an absolute war.

That being said I played fine, I’m just trying to regroup for the weekend now.

Other Topics:

Why bad LAG player's may often prefer the 20-50BB tables?

I think the biggest reason the casual loose aggressive player enjoys the 20-50BB tables is they can run up a stack and feel protected by the 50BB buy in cap.  So a terrible player can run up a stack to $150, but a "pro" can only buy in $50 to go to war with them.  On the standard 40-100BB tables there isn't this sort of protection.  It's just one hand and they are basically destroyed.

Stars has a 20% reload bonus up to $500 until May 10^th I believe.

I plan to deposit this weekend and take advantage of this.  This is great timing since I was planning to deposit at least once this month anyways.  Also, I could really use the $100 bonus during this brutal stretch.  Anything helps.

I'm not sure it's logical from a business sense, but I commend Stars for the reload bonus.  Despite the fact that idiots like me are going to run thousands under EV and still deposit anyways.  I'm curios if more money is deposited because of the bonus, or it just seems like it because some players just wait for a reload bonus to come around.  I have a feeling player's will generally deposit if they want (whether a deposit is offered or not).   However, I understand that it's such a competitive industry that something has to be done to please customers.

Lost two decent pots calling down in semi-bluff situations on the flop based on opponent’s ranges.

During my session I lost two decent pots where I called an all in shove over my cbet on the flop.  Both times the opponent had a very loose range and happened to catch a pair in the right situation against my missed AK. 

I think one of the most under-looked skills to short-stacking is facing a semi-bluff all in push over your C-bet on the flop.  This is a very profitable situation if you can make a read.  However, if you fold to much you're losing money in the long run.  You will often find yourself in a position where you only need around 35% equity to call based on the opponent's range to make the play profitable.  An exception would be a weak-tight player who is generally only making a move with a made hand.

That's all for now.  Another bad session.

-bag.