All of the sudden big buy in tourney...

Ninja.

Alright- lots to talk about.

Yesterday’s meltdown was 90% about my attitude when I started. I was ready to win some tournaments- my goal was to win. I was not playing to make correct decisions and accept or revel in the appropriate consequences. That is a mistake I need to not make. It might be the most important mistake to avoid.

That said, I am tempting the Donkey God with my first game of the day. Check this out:

Full Tilt’s Daily Dollar is total online freeplay insanity. Its not really free- costs a buck- but is almost free. 12k player max. First place is 1500 bucks or so. Guess how 75% of the players think they will win it? Anyway, so the Daily Dollar is bad enough. Guess what I signed up for? A 7.5k person FREEROLL to the Daily Dollar. HAHAHAAHA ahem.

So, back to attitude… I am going to start working on a mantra or oath that I will force myself to say outloud before I play. A verbal contract with myself to not only engage in Right Thinking but also Right Feeling.

Perhaps I should start with Harold Melvin’s:

It is by will alone I set my mind in motion. It is by the juice of sapho that thoughts acquire speed, the lips acquire stains, the stains become a warning. It is by will alone I set my mind in motion.

Or perhaps not.

Freeroll over. I hadn’t realized it was another 300 chip craproll thing. I ran into AA twice in the 4 hands I played. Oh well!

So, my bankroll took a big hit yesterday. I was in the high forties and am now down to around 13 bucks. My best over-time performance is at 9 seat SNGs. The trouble is, and I was just talking to Truth about this, that all 9 players are playing for the money.

When you play a larger field some percentage of players are in it for the lottery. So instead of 100 opponents you have 80 opponents with 20 people worth in chips randomly distributed through the field and a bigger price pool. But then they are weighted more heavily towards the top of the field. I spent some time with pen and paper but was not satisfied that my results were worth sharing.

I paid the dollar for the Daily Dollar.

The site I referenced yesterday is called sharkscope and I suspect its data is bad. According to it I lost about 100 bucks last night. It is possible (although unlikely) that my total entry fees was 100… but my net loses were about 30. Not sure what data its displaying. I am going to track it tonight as I play and see.

Right now it says:

Games Played = 675
Average Profit = -1
Average Stake = 2
Average ROI = -37%
Total Profit = -666
Ability = 52/100

Pretty good run of no playable hands so far at the Daily Dollar. 20 or so. I was starting to feel lamentful when the guy next to me who was scooping all the pots got caught. Go solid players. Except there I a guy who has more than tripled up at my table too. Grrr..

I just had a hand with him. I was in the BB with nothing. We checked to the river where I finally hit my bottom card. He bet the pot and I called. That card gave him a straight.

And so it begins.

Folded QT from late position with 6 limpers. Contrary to my traditional thinking re: pot odds I was thinking of the potential volatility. Flop was AA5 and turn was a 5. I was glad I was out. Mr Big Stack bet at it and took it down.

More laying down.

Okay, playing my first hand. It is hand number 27 and I am in 4956 of 6374.

I lose to an all in. Sevens full of Aces to Queens full of Sevens.

Yeap.

I am left with 950 chips.

Registration isn’t even over.

Oh, I forgot- this puts me at 6214 if 6329.

Awesome.

99 and QQ where the only two hands that could have beaten me.

Somebody want to run the math on that?

Trying hard to be Zenja right now but struggling. Its like a blanket of exhaustion just fell on me. My M is still over 10 even though my stack is less than 1/3 of starting. I am fighting the desire to just walk away. I won’t- and I won’t let my discipline crack, but the feelings of why bother are nearly overpowering.

Registration is over. 8189 players. 5995 left. I am in 5890th.

There is likely to be a break before I get a playable hand. This means A) I will need to sit and stare at my fate for 4 minutes and B) the blinds will go up so my M will be 5 or so when we get back.

Had to fold through my blinds with poop cards and raisers. Blinds went up and I was reseated twice in the row from the button so I get to see a couple of extra hands this round- but wound up seated next to a guy who has me outstacked 15x. The guy to his left has the same size stack. So, pretty much whatever folding equity I had is gone. Blinds went up soft so I only dropped to 8.

And I’m out. 5445

Okay, I just took a nap. I need to confess. I did not go out strong. Being reseated next to the two monsters broke the last of my resolve. I made a move from late position when there was no action in front of me with KT and got reraised. This happened seconds after writing that I wouldn’t be able to make any moves with these guys. I said “fuck it” and went all in rather than sit helplessly anymore.

I think the move with KT is completely fine EXCEPT for the giant stacks. The only alternate path was to play like a microstack and hold for any ace, pair, suited connector and go. I chose to not let myself feel helpless and try to play it straight and got smacked in the face with realities flabby boner.

So, there you have it.

9 seater 2.25 buy in.

Made a mistake my first hand.

One guy had already doubled up- guy to my left.

I look down at K9s on the button.
I decide to get involved but there are many limpers and my aggression instinct isn’t flipped.
I limp with 5 others
BB raises it 2x
Everyone calls
I am a sheep
I miss the flop
People bet
I get out

My bad- I won’t let it happen again.

A quick peek at sharkscope tells me that it has increased my number of games by one but nothing else changed. Weird.

Decided not to try and make a move with Q9off on the botton with one limper ahead of me. It turned into a 3 way all-in and guy to my left cracked them both at once.

Guy who now has 5x the starting stack is using it and is seated to my left.

A2s in the BB
Check to one limper
Flop is 9A2 rainbow
Min bet
He folds.

Limp from the buttn with 9T
Five people in hand
Flop is 875
One better
I call
The bet is bigger than I should have called but with so many people I loved the potential.
We actually checked to the river as the board paired itself twice.
He turned over AA
I turned over my chips.

Note: I called with 2.1 odds, 2 over cards and an open ended straight draw. The math says that is okay with two streets to go- in fact its more than okay. 14 outs- 2 streets. 28 shots at beating his pair.

AKs in the BB
I get a walk.

99 in the SB
5x raise takes the BB

So, Captain is willing to fold. Noted.

Looks like he might just be planning on folding to the money. He has the stack to do it.

He literally has four starting stacks plus 22 chips. There are three people out. Its as if he just bought 4 sets of chips- then stole a blind.

Q2off in the BB
Check
Hit the 2
Small belt gets called
Turn is a 3
I check
He bets
I fold

I sit and fold nothing.

Get another AKs and get a walk in the BB.

Monster stack guy busts everyone but me
We are heads up
Wtf

Let’s recap.

Guy to my left doubles up first hand.
Shortly after there are 3 people out- he has ALL of their chips plus a few.
I had AK twice in the BB and got walks both times.
I had 99 in the SB and stole the BB.
I saw a couple of flops in the BB, made moves at both- got pushed out of both.
You with me so far?
Then it was down to 3 and I was in the money. I had not won a hand.

With less than 500 chips the big stack doubled me up.

Then he knocked out the other guy.

I am heads up- and I’ve won ONE hand.

He had roughly a 13 to 1 chip lead on me. I did not win but cannot complain given how it all went down.

Truth got home and we are chatting. I busted out of a 27 person while talking.

TT raised
One guy calls
Two spades on the board plus a Jack
He checks and I underbet
He calls
We check the turn which is a blank
River is another spade but also a T
He checks
I bet
He reraises me
I am pot committed so I call
He had the flush

Done.

27 person.

I am in 8 of 24 and have not played a hand. Next hand is my first blind.

6 hands in.
Min raise to my BB from UTG.
I call
Miss the flop
He raises
I fold

Min raise from mid during my SB
I’ve got K6s
I call
BBcalls
Flop is K high
I bet the pot
BB goes away
Other guy calls
Turn is a blank
I bet again
He calls
River is a blank
I check
He bets
I call
We split the pot- he had a shittier K

13 of 23

KJs in hijack
4x raise
Button calls
Blinds fold
Flop is J25 with 25 both my suit
I bet half the pot
He folds

10 of 21

KQsuited in mid
3x raise
Micro stack calls for 50% of his chips
BB calls
Flop is 24Q
I bet ¾ the pot (enough to put micro all in)
Micro goes all in
BB goes all in
WTF dick!
I think
I’ve watched him being a donk earlier- decide to call
He turns over KQ unsuited
Micro turns over 44 for the set
Turn is a 2 pairing the board
River is a Q
I chop with the donkey

12 of 18

CH folded 9T off
CH folded 29 off
CH folded Q7 off
CH folded 39 off

88 on the button
One limper
3x raise
Everyone folds but limper
Limper calls
5TK
Limper goes all in
I fold.

Limped with A6suited
Saw flip
BB checked
I bet
Scoop

13 of 15

14 of 15

AT in BB
M is 4ish
One limper- guy who tried to push all in after I made my raise to the microstack
I raise 4x
He reraises all in
I call
He turns over A4

Guess who is out?

Did I do anything wrong? Folding the 88 maybe?

18 seat SNG.

I think some of the donkeyness is because I returned to the 2 dollar bracket… although Truth pointed out that I had a ton of donkey suckout bullshit yesterday in the 5 dollar bracket.

I don’t know how to resolve this.

Folding AToff from the button with a raise and a reraise ahead of me
Reraise got a call
Original raiser went all in
Both called him

AA in middle late
3x raise from early
2x over that reraise
4x over that rereraise
I rerereraise 2x that
Original raiser goes away
Other guys call me
Flop is 9T4 rainbow
First guy goes all in
Second guy calls
I call
They turn over AT and KQ
AA holds up

Several hands transpired that I would like to have recorded. Lots of other people playing like donkeys and making my life hard. I managed to not get totally fucked ever but it makes the decisions a lot harder when you are playing against people who will play any two cards, call any raise, etc…

Poker is a game of information and if they don’t know what their information is- how can you?

So here I am making what I believe to be correct decisions and getting fucked again and again. I do not know how to toe the line.

Check this:

AJ in late position
4x raise
To people come along
Flop is
76A
I bet the pot
One guy goes away
One guy calls leaving himself with 800 chips
Turn is a 9
I put him all in
He calls
He turns over 89
The river is a 5

WHAT THE FUCK AM I SUPPOSED TO DO???




Truth and I jumped into a SEVENTY DOLLAR tourney.

Truth Ninja.

Okay, so 84 of 107- I’ve had nothing resembling quality cards. I am only off the ropes because I had to go all in with top pair in desperation and got called by a donkey. I hope my cards turn around. A run of good luck in the middle and or end of a tourney is preferable to at the beginning anyway. Truth had magic cards for the first couple blind levels- he saw more premium hands in that 30 minutes than I’ve seen all tournament- granted I’ve seen ONE (which I had to fold preflop) but still. Anyway, the point is- he had some great cards, built a nice stack, then got drawn out on six times in a row (its like he took a sip of my drink and got infected) and was out. He did nothing wrong. Whereas I am barely above the starting stack and have seen TWO honestly playable hands- 99 and AK and I folded them both.

25 of 46 at the third break- pays 36

I’ve had one premium hand that I was able to play- KK… Did not double up but did not get cracked or need to give it up… So that was nice.

31 of 31 but M is solid(ish)

Went out a few minutes later. 30th I think. Paid 75 to enter, won 93.??

Truth and I just did a little retrospective hand analysis. Over the 350 or so hands I had almost no premium hands. AKs twice- no action either time. AKoff twice. KK. I had 88 twice and might have had 99 once but I can’t recall. I had AQoff a couple of times out of position. I had AJoff once and made a move and was reraised all-in by a bigger stack when we were on the bubble.

I made no flushes. I made no straights. I made no full houses. I did win a race with K4suited against 66 when I hit two 4s for the set.

I had a good number of KQ, KJ, QJ, JT, T9 hands but NEVER with position or no action in front of me. There were a couple of hands I might have won with a semi bluff (but also could have lose more money). I got stomped with reraises a couple times early and it made me gunshy of making continuation bets post flop- but I did do it sometimes.

Honestly, and I will kick Truth in the fucking nuts if he tries to disagree- my performance was A-fucking-Mazing given my cards and circumstances. Did I play it perfectly? No. There were several things I could have done a little better to make more money and several I could have done to lose less. HOWEVER, I made many many hard decisions protecting my stack and scrounging some chips. I never had more chips than Truth did during his run early on. There is something to that I think.