A Journey of 10k Hands

Ninja.

Last night was the 5k added qualifier only at Garden City. To qualify you had to place third or better during the season. I had hit a third one of the night’s Truth took me, so I was in. I prepared all weekend. I played almost exclusively 45seat SNGs because they are about the right size. I wanted my head in the right meta-game space. I crushed all weekend. I felt very good about my game going into the Garden.

All day Sunday I repeated a mantra to myself about how I’ve never caught anyone trying to bluff me. A day later I realize this isn’t really true. I’ve caught a few guys. Anyway, I was determined to just give credit to moves- play tight and aggressive- and win. I was seated to the left of a guy I’ve played with before… and caught bluffing. Then he immediately started playing every pot. He is the limp into every pot and raise like it hit guy. He scooped the first pot. Second hand I’ve got AJoff and there are a parade of limpers. I throw out a big raise- a massive overraise actually since I wasn’t used to the chip denominations and panic’d a bit. He reraises me… and goes on to almost felt me with pocket aces. Next pot limps the same way and I shove the last of my chips with AT. And he calls (after limping again) with AQ. Done. Third hand.

I had to fight down The Urge for a good hour after. It was really bad because not only is the world out to get me by giving loose weak donkey AA… But I am also A COMPLETE FUCKING IDIOT. At that point I really don’t see any imaginable excuse to carry on. I managed to rationalize WHY I was an idiot enough to make it through the night.

So here I am the next day. Bright new start and all that… I’ve got a little money in my bankroll and I am not in “prep for the big tourney” mode. I’ve been thinking a lot about moving to cash. I think now is the time. I am going to do 10k hands at .01/.02 and see how it feels. I plan on working this afternoon starting at 2:30 and I made this decision at 1:20. I decided I would single table for an hour just to see. Very managed- fun to look at the results.

I am 52 minutes in and it has gone well so far. But, I’ve had a couple really good hands too… We will see how it all goes.

10K HANDS HERE I COME!!!!

437 hand update

I am losing! But not by a huge amount and, as much as you can say this, its okay… I am 5 sessions in. Two sessions of two tables for an hour and a half or so and one session of one table. Two up sessions, three down sessions.

I am playing .01/.02 with a max buyin of 2 dollars. I am doing full buyins even though I am really a believer in being a “short stacker”. I’ve always liked the idea and they were certainly the guys who took the most chips from me last night- but I will stay with full buyins for now. Two of my losing sessions were big losing sessions. One I was felted twice- the other once… I am not going to beat myself up over these too much.

My first sessions I played one table for one hour exactly. It was a solid winning session for about a buck sixty. Note: They measure your winningness at cash games in “big blinds per 100 hands- written bb/100. So, first session was 54.51/100. Totally awesome and unsustainable, but a fun start.

My second and third session happened at the same time and were really bad. I took a nice lead early then got distracted by some nonsense with Truth. He joined a freeroll then was out of the room on a call. I autofolded 2 pair while handling his game and went on a bit of tilt. Also, I chased a few draws and missed ALL of them. And I had a horrible runner runner four flush suck-out to bust my top set vs. overpair. I also made a few bad calls with short stackers in the name of “seeing how things work in cash games. Add all those mistakes up- minus 3 buyins.

My fourth and fifth were profitable together but not enough to compensate for the huge 3 buyin whiff earlier. I booked another one fiftyish win and a fifty cent loss. So, after 6 .4 hours of play, five sessions, and 432 hands I am at -19.74/100. I think I can almost invert this number.

Oh! A quick story about rake…

I learned a “cool trick” in tournament play that doesn’t work often but is “zero risk”. If the board completes a broadway straight and has no flush or pair- or is four to broadway and you have the missing card but KNOW your opponent does too… Shove all in. I’ve had this startle/scare the other person into folding several times. Once I was in a three way pot when the board completed broadway and I shoved and they both folded.

So I am in a three way hand and have 10 cents in the pot. The river completes broadway on the board. I shove for about 2 bucks- they both think then call. After the rake I lost 12 cents. I lost 2 more cents than if I had simply lost the original pot.

Onward!