Confidently Dropping to Mid-Stakes (4/26/2012)

I shipped a full $1200 buy-in within the first 30 minutes of playing 5/10 tonight and lost a $3600 pot.

Bye-bye 5/10 hand:

I isolate $50 on two limpers preflop with 99. Two players flat in with position on me, and both limpers flat. Pot is $250.

Flop Td 8d 4s

I lead $150, meh-AZN reg to my left calls, meh-nit middle aged white reg calls, both limpers fold. Pot is now $550.

Turn 9d

Clearly the bingo card, hard for me not to like. The open ended flop straight draws have both missed (J9 and 79). I do have two nines in my hand so these hands are a little less likely. Gut-shots JQ and 76 might have got there. I'm really discounting the gut-shots because both players are regulars. I don't think they are bad enough to call with a gut-shot on the flop when I'm leading and around 100 BB effective. These are 5/10 pros right? Ok maybe the Asian might call with a gut-shot here, but the middle aged white guy pro, no way in hell.....

I lead turn $375. Meh-azn who hasn't been laid in at least 5 years shoves. Middle aged white guy does a little acting like a retard and over-shove. As soon as this nit over-shoved I knew he probably hit the gut-shot. He's a complete nit post-flop and never puts in with less than a set here. I now have only $600 left and obviously have to call $600 to win $3600. Even if he showed me QJ face up I'm low 20% to boat up on the river.

River 7

Assclown middle aged reg who hasn't showered in over a year turns over QJ and holds.

HE HASN'T SHOWER IN A YEAR BUT HOLY SHIT DOES THIS IDIOT RUN LIKE GOD EACH AND EVERY WEEK.

SICK CALL ON THE FLOP TO BINK A GUT-SHOT.... wait I had two nines in my hand so you called $150 on the flop against a now less than 100BB stack with two outs, AND YOU STILL HIT.

CONGRATULATIONS SIR!

And after that I went back down to 2/5 and grinded $255 in 5 shitty hours. That's really about all I can take for now. The last two days I've been stacked getting in with horrific set-up hands. Both times against regulars making a really bad call on at least one street to luck-box. Both times I would have had to get the money in even if the cards were face up because of my equity. Both times I obviously brick. I hate to bitch, but in my live poker career, I feel like I'm about 0 for 15 when I need to fill up to a full house in ridiculous huge-pot situations.

So on the month I'm now only up just over 2k. I played 5/10 65 hours, only up about 1,200 (a buy-in weeee). If I'm going to run like this I might as well drop to mid-stakes and run like total shit there for the remainder of the month (which I intend to do). I wanted to finish the month at least up 2k so I could pay off a big credit card bill and rent. In 6 hours of 5/10 this week I've lost a 6k in pots combined. That's almost a years rent in two pots (LOL).

Right now I need a break from the swings. My original plan was to aggressively take shots in 5/10 games until my bankroll dropped just below 30k. But with my bankroll at now 35k I just don't even feel comfortable losing a few more pots like that. It has already started to affect my play at high stakes, you miss a barrel here, or a delayed cbet multi-way here. Then you aren't playing your A game, then you're absolutely fucked because you need to be playing your A game when you're "taking a shot" in the biggest games you've ever played in.

I think my plan now is to grind 2/5 until I can get my roll just over 40k. This is a bankroll level I feel more comfortable stepping into 5/10 with. I know it's only 5 more k or so, but it makes a big difference in my mind. It just disgusts me to think about dropping my roll below 30k because I can't run normal playing 5/10. I'm not going to let it happen, and I've officially pulled the plug tonight. I REFUSE to endanger my roll to a point where it drops below 30k. If I play 2/5 and lose TEN buy-ins playing which drops the roll below 30k then fine so be it. But losing 5 buy-ins at 5/10 seems a LOT more feasible right now, so I'm just ending the shot right now.

So was the stress worth it?

Yes absolutely.

I stepped up to 5/10 and held my own. I actually won over a buy-in during 65 hours of play. I know I have the skill to beat 5/10 at the moment. It's all about building my roll to a level where I'm 100% comfortable facing the beast that is 5/10. I can't lose two enormous pots in 6 hours and be messed up over it.

And this has actually provided great motivation to put in the hours and grind 2/5 with a new found purpose. The purpose of 2/5 is to build my roll, and eventually return to 5/10 even stronger. No longer am I grinding away with the only motivation of reaching an arbitrary number (aka 100 BIs or 80 BIs). And with the taste of 5/10 bagliife is hungry for more. But why the fuck is he still awake at 5:30 a.m typing this? And why hasn't he worked out in over a week? And how did he make out with a girl an hour at the club Tuesday night, only to have her NOT TEXT HIM BACK? That is an absolute first. I must say I have never made out with a girl for over an hour that I just met and have her not RESPOND. I feel this is only possible in New Jersey. You can meet a hot girl, basically fuck her in a club, but next day no response. I wanted to watch a movie or something GOOD LORD im not a terrible person I swear!

Anyways, the 5/10 regulars better hope I run like shit at 2/5 for a long time. When I come back it's war. And you may all know each-other, but I have friends as well. And the next time I take a shot they sure as hell will be in town and I'll have notes on all of you mother fuckers. So keep buddy-buddying and I'll buddy-buddy with my own crew. Not that I need to form alliances to take on shit poker players that play like shit and win thousands daily doing nothing. Just the small increase in bankroll, it's the only thing separating a player like me who is knocking at the door, ready to jump in, fuck up your party, and carve up your fish. Peace the fuck out.

-bag

Bad Monday Loss (4/24/2012)

Last week I won about $450 in 28 hours bouncing back and forth between 2/5 and 5/10.

Tonight I followed it up losing -$1300 playing 5/10  The final 2 hours I grinded 2/5 and made $200 back.

This was the biggest loss in a single night I’ve had in a long time.  Obviously it was bound to happen playing stakes so high.  The loss pretty much came in a single pot where a regular luck-boxed a 9 7 K flop against my AK in a 3-bet pot and held up with 97o.  A wonderful call as always, yeah you were definitely priced in too call my 3-bet because a fish cold called in-between with obviously 99-QQ.  Despite the fact I’m 1100 effective, despite the fact that I hadn’t 3-bet a hand in two hours.  I swear some of these regulars just run good the majority of their life, they never have a clue, they never even need to have a clue.  The hand started $1,100 effective and after my cbet I only needed to be good about 23% to break even with a call against his shove.  So I couldn’t even fold if the cards were face up.  It’s just a $2500 pot shipped to the luck box fund. 

No worries there.  Surprisingly it didn’t sting at all.  One of the biggest pots I’ve lost and no sting.  The money just has to get in there. 

I will say I wasn’t happy with my table selection, I normally have more discipline, I normally leave.  I’m sitting there on a must move game with 4 of the better regulars in the city at one point.  The only reason I stayed was because I was next up on the main game, which I thought would be worth-while.  When I finally got to the main game it sucked anyways, go figure.

Going forward I just can’t afford to sit in games that bad playing 5/10.  Not even for an hour.  I’m in an alright position right now, and this would be a great way to fuck everything up.  Just keep sitting in the least profitable 5/10 game on the East Coast (on a Monday fucking night) if you really want to fuck yourself, it’s that easy!  Tonight was a cooler whatever, but it’s just not worth it with my bankroll right now.  It’s not what you want when you’re moving up.  I also felt I was probably out-played two hands.   At one point I was probably the third best player out of seven on the table.  I don’t remember the last live table I sat at where I honestly felt like I wasn’t even the second best player on the table.  

The jump to 5/10 is incredibly difficult.  During the tournament time it was a different story.  But now during a weekday around AC you need to get lucky to find a good 5/10.  Also the 5/10 regulars all know each-other.  And several of them will specifically target me and put me to the test whenever possible.

To make matters worse they all know each-other.  I feel like I’m an outcast in high-school or something.

I have a lot to think about going forward.  It seems I’m most likely in the wrong city to make the jump to 5/10, but I’m not going to stop searching for good games as long as I have the confidence and bankroll.  If I was anywhere else I’d probably be 50% more likely to stabilize and stay at the higher stakes.  Here I don’t know.  I feel like I may be in the wrong place at the wrong time.  Oh I feel like I'm getting sick.  That will probably mess up another week.

-bag

Strong Week (4/16/2012)

Baglife Inc shares had a positive fluctuation this week, investors seem somewhat happy for once.  Analysts have upgraded the company to "HOLD" from "SELL FUCKING NOW".

I ended up winning just over 5k in 38.5 hours this week (24 hours of 5/10 and 14.5 of 2/5).  On the month I'm up just under 4k so far.  The week before this one was one of the worst stretches I've had in a while (Florida where I first jumped into 5/10 games) so it takes the pressure off slightly.  During the past week I had all of my wins on week nights.  Friday and Saturday I combined 8.5 hours and actually lost -$45.  Sunday I got back in the green winning $900.  At this point I'd probably rather find a good game during the week, rather than Friday or Saturday.

Despite the great week I feel incredibly unsatisfied at the moment.  I'm not quite sure what is wrong with me.

Changing subjects, I've had a great business idea on my mind, and I want to start getting a plan together.  I think it has serious potential.  I already talked to another family member who thinks I should go for it and said he would invest first.  It's something in the back of my mind, but I want to start committing time towards this weekly.  Still a tough task because I'm fighting hard to stabilize at 5/10.  Grinding hours and hopefully money monthly still needs to be my first focus whether I like it or not at the moment (I think).   

This upcoming week I want to log at least 32 hours.  I'm going to the beach tomorrow to relax.  I'll most likely aim for a sessions during the nights of Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday. 

-bag

Massive Night (4/13/2012)

Tonight's session (Thursday) went very well.  I won just over $2800 in about 9 hours.  I started late, and ended about 6:00 a.m.  My schedule is sort of fucked, but I was in an amazing game and I was playing solid mistake free poker.  I didn't have to drop to 2/5, I found the 5/10 games good enough all night. 

Hopefully I will get to sleep by 8a.m, so I should wake up around 5p.m I guess... I have no idea lol...  But I'll take the messed up schedule in exchange for the biggest win of my life.

The small run good means little, but i think it really does take the pressure off me some.  It gives me some cushion to attempt to stablize at 5/10.

Not sure the schedule for tomorrow, playing it by ear!

-bag

Decent Monday (4/11/2012)

I put in a session Monday and actually ended up winning money playing poker.  I played 5/10 about 3 hours and won $650.  Then the games got really bad so I dropped to 2/5 grinded for 4 hours and another +$450.

I expect a lot of my sessions to turn into a back and forth game between 5/10 and 2/5.  I'm just going to refuse to sit on 5/10 games unless I clearly see it's very beatable.

The win Monday was pretty important for me, I had lost 8 sessions in a row.  Just one of those stretches.  I'm looking to stay focused and put in sessions at least 4 out of the next 5 nights.  Perhaps Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday.  Friday's sort of tilt me.... 

-bag