January Month Review

Poker Stars

Days played: 29

Cash game hands played: 22190

Hours Played: 63.80

Hourly rate (Table Winnings): $5.16

Winning days: 18
Losing days: 11
Most profitable day: +$156.30

Least profitable day: -$149.21

Amount Won: +$329.10

Bonuses Earned: +$180 Deposit Bonus ($530/$600) + $40 Stellar Rewards + $60 Selling FPP items via 2+2 = $280

Total Monthly Profit: +$609.10

Total 2011 Yearly Profit: +$609.10

Total Monthly Hourly: $9.55

Total Yearly Hourly: $9.55

Goal Results:

Total for Above Period: +$609.10

Total/Month: +$609.10

Total Profit: +$2,635.81

Total Hourly: $14.02

Amount remaining to reach goal: $2,364.19

VPPs: 3000.41

FPPs: 10,241.62 ($163.86 worth at $.016 per point)

Pros:

-Reached Gold Star for the first time

-Put in a reasonable amount of volume

-Played through a break even stretch and managed to steadily get myself out of it.

-Focused on making good decisions and keeping from auto piloting

-Was able to not be results orientated and really put a damper on my tilting.

-Ended up with a profitable month after rake back

-Destroyed 25nl FR with ease

Cons:

-Did not put in much volume in the beginning of the month which resulted in not as much volume as possible

-Kept most of my volume at 25nl compared to 50nl

-Did not make Platinum Star

Goals for February:

-25K hands

-75% of Volume at 50nl

-Gold Star

-Platinum Star

-$1k in profits

Also don't mind the change in font on my posts. It shows as all one when I try and edit it, although as soon as I post it changes randomly.

Tomorrow's Grind

Tomorrows going to be a day full of poker. I'm actually in Pittsfield for the night, but will be driving back to UMass in the morning. I've been playing a lot of poker lately (which I'm extremely happy about) and have really been using my time to grind up at school. I've managed to pull myself into the black profitwise in the cash games over a long 20K or so downswing/breakeven stretch. I'm also 113 VPPs from making GoldStar which I haven't done yet since moving to Stars. I've unfortunately been playing a lot of 25nl which is keeping my overall VPPs down, but I have been consistently winning money at the limit. My focus for next month is to put in 75% or more of my volume at 50nl. My bankroll is now comfortably rolled for 100nl so there is absolutely no reason I should be staying at 25nl any longer.

In the WBCOOP Omaha Hi/Lo event I managed to finish in 160th place which qualified me for the Main Event which I plan on playing tomorrow. I'm hoping to go deep and prove to myself I don't suck as bad as I think at MTTs. On a brighter note inspired by a friend whose been straight killing MTTs lately I decided to fire some up while grinding lately and it really has been a fun and new way of playing poker and I'm excited to participate in more MTTs in the future. I've played about 5 tournaments (all under $5 buy in) to try my luck out and have cashed in two for very small amounts and feel as though I played solid in the others just ran into some bad luck and am planning on continuing experimenting with MTTs here and there in the future along with some cash tables.

I'll do an update on the progress for my school year goals/month review within the next couple of days. Keep the grind on your mind!

Justice

Poker Stars $0.25/$0.50 No Limit Hold'em - 8 players - View hand 1143587
DeucesCracked Poker Videos Hand History Converter

MP2: $55.45
CO: $55.65
BTN: $52.85
Hero (SB): $62.05
BB: $53.00
UTG: $55.50
UTG+1: $46.25
MP1: $18.50

Pre Flop: ($0.75) Hero is SB with A A
5 folds, BTN raises to $1.50, Hero calls $1.25, BB raises to $7.50, BTN raises to $52.85 all in, Hero raises to $62.05 all in, BB calls $45.50 all in

Flop: ($158.85) A 3 T (3 players - 3 are all in)

Turn: ($158.85) A (3 players - 3 are all in)

River: ($158.85) 8 (3 players - 3 are all in)

Final Pot: $158.85

BTN mucks J J

Hero shows A A (four of a kind, Aces)

BB mucks K K

Hero wins $0.30

Hero wins $155.55

(Rake: $3.00)

=).

WBCOOP & Poker Book List

WBCOOP

I played the 2nd qualifier event of the WBCOOP today along with grinding some cash. I ended up busting the tournament in about 340 place and was extremely card dead the whole tournament. I picked up AQs and JJ once each, but besides that could get a hand for the life of me. I hope to have better results in the coming events.

Book List

I've compiled a list of poker books I'm planning on reading in the future. Here's a rough list.

1. The Poker Mindset (currently reading)
2. The Poker Blue Print (skimmed through previously)
3. The No-Limit Workbook
4. Small Stakes Hold'em
5. No Limit Theory and Practice

Still Grinding!

So I've been putting in a lot of volume in since I got back to school and am going to continue doing this for the remainder of the semester. I'm really keeping high spirits even though results wise I'm not starting off the year so hot. I'm still doing very well at 25nl (all of the 25nl/05nl from above are from FR just shorthanded and of course the 50nl HU is actually from that).

Thankfully for my deposit bonus, stellar rewards, and selling items via FPP purchases I've managed to make a profit for the month. I'm currently on 2.384.87 VPPs on the year and am 100% going to make goldstar this month and platinum the next. I had slacked at the start of the month therefore I really can't make a run for platinum so late especially with classes getting into full swing.

I've started reading the Poker Mindset and it's really helping me get a better understanding of the game for the long term and be much less results orientated as long as I'm making correct decisions and putting in the time at the tables. I suggest anyone with tilting issues or just downright difficulty with the swings or losing in poker to read this book.

I'm looking forward to playing the WBCOOP qualifier events and will definitely be playing the two no limit hold em events. I'm going to try and play the 10 game mix as well it all really depends on my schedule and if I can fit it in.

Until next time....keep the grind on the mind!

January Update

This month is still really killing me. It seems as though every time I put in a solid session I have a session following that is just full of coolers and just a terrible run of cards. I'm happy with my play and am feeling confident at 50nl again. I've been putting in a decent amount of volume since being back at school and am going to keep up the pace from now on and hope the results will follow. I'm still capping at 10 tables and focusing on making +EV decisions.

My coaching session with OldSchool went well and he was informative, but watching him play I don't think would be as beneficial as him sweating me and seeing my mistakes. Maybe in the future I'll have him sweat me. I definitely picked up some good concepts though such as the real idea from betting to protect and to really get value out of some of my marginal hands.

I'm at 1,966.42 VPPs on the year so far and will definitely be making it a priority to hit Gold Star this month and Platinum next month. I have 11,691.61 FPPs saved up and will continue to build and only will spend if I get a price of $.016 per FPP or better (buying items through 2+2 for members for transfers or any promotions that come about).

So to sum things up I'm still down for the month, but feeling stronger than ever and as motivated as ever. Just need to play through the variance!

Home Games & Coaching!

I haven't put in too much volume since my last update. I'm packing all day today to head back to UMass tomorrow. I plan on putting in a lot of volume this week and actually have scheduled my first coaching session with a coach I found on 2+2 by the name of OldSchool. He has previously made videos for stoxpoker & pokersavvy and has some very strong reviews from previous students so I was happy to take the chance and see what it can do for my game. I really want to be starting to beat the limits and move up as I'm already rolled for 100nl, but have not played nearly enough at 50nl. I'm still shooting for the 100-200K VPP goal for this year and I'm hoping to just kill the games and make a good portion in table winnings. I'm keeping my head up on the year and just going to stay motivated and give it my all.

I tried out the new "Home Games" feature of PokerStars last night and it was a blast. I busted out of 3 tourneys without any cashes, but I had a lot of fun and it was pretty hilarious to see my AA busted by Monty's 69o all in preflop.

I'll update again later in the week after my coaching session and after I'm able to put in some volume and evaluate whether or not the coaching really benefit me.

FMM (**** My Month)

This month has been pretty downright horrible. I switched back to FR due to the swings at HU and I'm not sure that was the right move since the variance is absolutely brutal. I'm just playing through the variance since I've really minimized amounts I spew through bad play I just cannot win a hand for the life of me with all these coolers. I must have seen my KK against AA AIPF about 5 or 6 times, I've been one outtered as you see in my last post, and countless set over set and flush over flush situations. I'm keeping my head up though and just working on making good decisions and playing well, hoping that my results will even themselves out through volume. I'm sticking to 6-8 tabling 25/50nl and am doing my best not to check the cashier (I normally check after my session is over and plan to stop this), although I will check HEM after my session to keep in mind whether I should be dropping down to recoop or not.

WBCOOP

I have registered to play in the PokerStars World Blogger Championship of Online Poker! The WBCOOP is a free online Poker tournament open to all Bloggers, so register on WBCOOP to play.

Registration code: XXXXXX 118678

Frustration.

Here's a hand to sum up my month:

Poker Stars $0.10/$0.25 No Limit Hold'em - 9 players - View hand 1110935

UTG+2: $25.00
MP1: $32.86
Hero (MP2): $25.00
CO: $10.87
BTN: $41.29
SB: $25.00
BB: $21.53
UTG: $25.93
UTG+1: $26.34

Pre Flop: ($0.35) Hero is MP2 with A A
1 fold, UTG+1 raises to $0.75, 2 folds, Hero calls $0.75, CO calls $0.75, 3 folds

Flop: ($2.60) A 7 4 (3 players)
UTG+1 checks, Hero checks, CO bets $3.55, UTG+1 raises to $9, Hero calls $9, CO calls $5.45

Turn: ($29.60) 2 (3 players)
UTG+1 bets $16.59 all in, Hero calls $15.25 all in, CO calls $1.12 all in

River: ($61.22) 4 (3 players - 3 are all in)

Final Pot: $61.22
Hero shows A A (a full house, Aces full of Fours)
CO shows J 7 (two pair, Sevens and Fours)
UTG+1 shows 4 4 (four of a kind, Fours)

UTG+1 wins $27.83
UTG+1 wins $31.39
(Rake: $2.00)

My month is going pretty terrible. Can't seem to get any sort of run good. My thoughts on heads has changed after a long string of 10 or so suckouts followed by insta hit and runs that my patience with the variance and overall satisfaction at the 50NL level has pushed me back into playing FR. I feel back and stronger than ever now that my postflop game has seen a vast improvement. I'm not giving up on HU by any means I'd just rather build up my roll alittle more and start taking shots at 100NL since I can't get anyone to play more than 35 hands at 50nl which is very frustrating and overall -EV in my opinion. I'm enjoying FR afain and I'm focusing on 6-7 tabling with a solid winrate over any of the VIP program for now as I really want to progress through the limits as fast as possible. I'm going to grind 25NL for a for more sessions then move back up to 50NL and hope to be accomplish beating that very soon.