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Going to include some real life today as I want to keep my diary interesting. Didn't play in the morning as yesterday I got an offer from my aunt who runs a dog walking company asking if I wanted to come along with her. At the start of my diary I mentioned about starting a community group for people with balance disorders as I had some history with these problems. The history is about 2 years ago I walked down the road going to lunch from work, when I suddenly felt that feeling u get when u lean back on a chair and think ur going to fall off, an unbalanced feeling. It worried me so I stopped and sat at the bus stop until I felt normal again, I went back to work and finished the day. Kept getting this feeling and some disgusting headaches, so I went doctors got diagnosed with 3 different things over a period of 3 months, and wasn't getting any better and got sent to a ENT hospital. By this time by job as a fitness instructor was getting hard to do and I was having to take days off quiet often but I didn't want to quit as I worked hard and it was a good job with opportunitys to becoming a personal trainer etc/ also because it was I small gym I was getting a lot of resposabilities including the keys to lock up and open up and seeing as I was 18 at the time it was a big deal.
One day about 4 months after and fearing now what was wrong as I knew this wasn't normal, I went out for a mates 18th. We went Sugarhut in brentwoood before going to oceana somewhere else in Essex. I just couldn't focus on anything and felt very ill still so I went home. Up for work at 6am the next day to open up, with the most disgusting hangover even though id only had a few. Went for lunch very worried and ended up having a panic attack, everything was really getting to me so I said im going home and walked out to the annoence of the receptionist. Went to work on Monday even though I really didn't want to, and I got a letter saying I was sacked, which I cant blame by bosses for.
To TRY and shorten the story, I had headscans, ear tests/ eye test all to try and find the problem. It was a worrying time as I was fearing being like this for my life. I watched one of my favourite programmes that night, embarrassing bodies, where I come across a doctor called dr surenithran in which he was helping someone with my symptoms. So I arranged a private appointment to see him, where I eventually got a diagnoses, MAV( migraine associated vertigo). I was delighted to get a diagnosed eventually, and it wasn't anything which I had already feared. He told me it was a long process to get better.
I was put on a strict diet and medication. 2 years have since passed, im walking fine, going more places which I wasn't previous. Even started doing exercise and helping my mum lose weight which was such a good feeling, managed to lose 19 pounds in 6 weeks, I had put on a lot of weight which was hard to take as a fitness instructor who used to work out 5 days a week for about 8 months. By this time I had isolated myself from my friends/some family, not to be horriable but just due to how hard it was to do anything with my illness. I recently went football with a friend on my own, which is a big achievement again for me.
Iv had to do everything with someone mostly for the last 2 years and faced a lot of "its been 2 years where have u gone missing, why arnt you better" sort of questions, which is understandable. My aunt asked me to go with her to get a routine back like work and to do something with my immediate family. Hopefully I will be doing it tue/ wed every week and eventually feel confident enough to get a job.
Unfortunatly im still taking a lot of tablets and it will be around 2 more years until im off them, but I no longer drink or smoke due to them so that's a good thing. I also got told I wont be able to fitness instruct again which is hard to take, but oh well health is more important.......So that's why I didn't play much poker this morning. That wasn't meant to be so long.
Anyways played today. Was on a loose mastercash table, was 3 buyins up on it within an hour, played well, but felt liked quitting after 2 hours and after yesterday booking a win isn't too bad an idea. I was tired from the morning and im planning to play a lot before the end of the week so I don't mind booking the win. Have some river situation hands id like comments for ill post later.
B/r: £359.64
Day: +2.5 buy ins (£25)
Calcalfold: "tick tock till busto"
The phrase is "Countdown to busto...." as said by the legendary Max Rofls.
Satalite in for £2.40 I think. Ended up finishing 30th (I think) out of near enough 500 for £31.30 which helps the B/r and seeing as I will only sataliette into tourneys there great implied odds if I get in these tourneys for cheap. Played the primo and the main tonight for less then a £5. Cant really lose and I think I need to do it a few times a week to help the B/R grow quicker.
B/r: £388
Day: + £4.5 buy ins (£45)
Hey Robbie,
Nice one getting in from a Sat! and cashing. Seen as i'm having a go at MTT,s might start playin a few sats myself to get into bigger tournies.
Glad your health's getting better and things are improving for ya. Are you still working just now? I thought before you said you were still doing some personal training?
Strange day. Plan was to wake up at 9am and grind until about 4-6, By the time i had come down and got the shopping in and told the sainsburys delivery guy why tottenham will finish top 4 next season it was around 11am. Started playing a things were going ok, up a buy in or 2. Then i started struggling, i was getting alot of playback to my aggresion which normally doesnt happen at 10nl, the players doing it i didnt recognise either. I think i was being overly aggresive and not blanacing my range. I glanced at my notes quick as i struggle with aggresive players, i see play tighter, bet air less as cb, 4 bet light.
One oppoennt in particular i kept having a pre raising war with that ended with me c/f flop or folding to his 4 bet. Got dealt 77 in sb and thought okay this is the moment to hit back and show you cant be pushed around. He opened on button i 3 bet as i suspect he 4 bet, i then 5 bet, and if he shoved im going to call. He just flatted though. so tbh i could say i thought this and that but tbh i didnt no what that flat meant, flop come 6 4 2 with 2 diamonds. i thought perfect, if i shoved tho he will only call with mostly better or AK/ or FD. i check he bets small i shove he calls and hows KK. Where did i go wrong? i thought about it and iv come to the conclusion it was right move, right time, wrong hand? is 77 just too much the bottom of my range?
I must of been about 3 buy ins down and i wanted to quit about 2 hours in but i want the c4p points and i was planning to play loads between today - sunday. Especially after running bad that day and having a bad weekend last weekend. Ended up a few buy ins on a few tables and up to £53 on another.....just cant get to £60 to beat my highest lol
Not much else to report in life news. Contacted some places to try organise the community group for balance disorders but iv been told to talk to another number and havnt had time to ring it , but hopefully i can get things sorted there. Working with my aunt went well, felt fine apart from near the lake where i wasnt sure if the water was moving which made me feel abit dizzy but apart from that all good. Got to walk a sausage dog named hobo aswell so cant complain lol
Dissapointed only won 2.1 buy ins today for the time played, but oh well some win is better then no win. Seeing as i wanted to quit aswell its fine. Really happy iv come back well from a few tricky moments at the start of the week and are now in profit overall on my B/r, small acorns!
B/r: £409
Day: +2.1 buy ins (£21)
calcalfold: countdown until busto.....tick tok.
Just finished 2nd in £33 BH sat. won £16.50, only 1st was a place, 15 people entered.
Balance: £421
Day: + 3.3 buy ins (£33)
Done a bluff which got called off by middle pair no kicker.
Called with JJ on 8 9 10 board on the turn after oppon check IP when I played to c/r, thought what would he check in position and then shove, it was 67s
slowplayed JJ , then c/s on flop as overbet , flop was 5s 7s 9c, my opponent had played 6 9 of spades utg so she called that 3 turn 4 river.
Cant even remember what else.
So 4 buy ins in the space of 90 minutes. WTF. How am I ever going to make my Br grow when I make so many mistakes. cant even be bothered with poker today, all you do is go round in circles. I havnt seen anyone have a B/r of say £200 and it grow to £5000, and if they have it proberly took about 8 years. So now im lower then I was yesterday even though I put it a lot of effort yesterday. Was a waste of a day it was all wiped out in 90 minutes.
Br: £382.96
Day: -4 buy ins (-£40)
I had a BR of £180 in January, and it was just shy of £2k about 4 weeks ago (before the bad patch lol). Not looking so good now but it will be back up. Just takes time, a lot of hard work, quite a bit of rungood and a fook load of patience.
A lot of cash players have risen through the levels by having a few MTT binks to help them move up and ride out some downwings.
I strated with £80 2 years ago, and not bragging but it's possible.
But you have to put in a lot and I mean a lot of hardwork - you really have to dedicate a lot of time to it and not just switch on your PC and start playing.
Keep at it and in 6 months you will be 1k+.
People expect to win all the time quickly move through the levels. The games are tougher so it's going to take longer.
Don't fall into the trap of having some short term run good and think it's always going to be this easy.
good luck
Marc
Like I remember listening to an audiobook called The Poker Mindset and it said about some players might have a winrate of say 5xBB per hour, then they take a bad beat and lose 50xBB in one pot and think '**** sake that's 10 hours work down the drain' but it's really not! Your winrate already takes into account that you'll receive and give your fair share of coolers, bad beats etc.
Unavoidable things happen, like when I first moved up to 30NL, just against Doh in the space of a few sessions, I got it in KK v QQ, AA v QQ and flopped flush v flopped set (got it in on the flop) and lost all 3, so just there that was just shy of -£100 where most of the time I'll be +100, so just them 3 hands out of the 1000s I've played have meant my BR is £200 less than it would be if I'd held. I've yet to have a spot where I've got it in w/ a PP v a bigger PP at 30NL and won, but I have no doubt it'll happen. The edges in NLHE are far smaller than people think and variance is an enormous factor in short term results (and the short term can be very long).
Most people (including me) don't have established winrates but if you did, you could say everytime I sit down I am making X pounds per hour or w/e and while most people don't have that they can still say 'if I sit down on this table and play my A game, I will make money' and that's all you can do.
P.S. Ryan wasn't so good to be giving poker advice on TV 3 years ago when he had £30, Tikay has said many a time that he used to be really spewy. He just worked hard, got better, ran well, put a load of volume in and got there. I really don't know regarding his BR but I know he's a (self confessed) BR nit nowadays after previous bad experiences and I suspect he does have around the 100k mark for a BR. He's probably earned not far off £40k just in C4P alone in the last 12 months before you even count profits. Again this is all estimates but yeh.
Its true about the balance and looking back to see what you did have/didn't have, im going to try forget this morning and just play a lot later tonight, playing a long session at night for a change and just think I have x balance that's all the matter. Try forget what I did have/ could of had.
Yeah but rancid your confident in your play, im semi confident but know I can do awful things every now and then. When itz like that its so hard to keep confident and motivated.
P.s. also i've found when i play 10nl i really have to cut out any attempts at fancy play trying to level opponents etc, it may sound stupid but i think its possible to put too much thought in at 10nl and end up levelling yourself, just stick to the basics try get it in good and long term you will reap the rewards.
On the 77 hand; I think you massively overplayed it. Simply because he plays a lot of hands aggressively does not mean he 4-bets and calls 5-bets without a hand. I think you actually need to re-evaluate your reasons for 3-betting in this hand. Impatience at being "pushed around" isn't something that should feature in your thoughts.
What did you actually want him to do when you made the 3-bet? Did you want him to fold, call or 4-bet? If you want him to fold you're just wasting the value of your hand. I know you said you had a plan in case he 4-bet but is that really what you wanted? If you want him to call, then what are we doing post-flop, bearing in mind we'll be playing a bloated pot OOP with what's likely to be a marginal hand?
5-betting is just crazy. We're asking our opponent to 4-bet-fold which is so, so unlikely.
Post-flop, I don't think you gave too much thought to your opponent's range. He has called a 5-bet pre-flop. How weak can he possibly be? Do we really think he flats a 5-bet with AK? His range is crushing us on this flop and we've essentially played our 77 as a bluff, pre-flop. Now it's time to give up because we should know we're beat. He can never, ever be bluffing when betting so small with this SPR.
Anyway, forgetting this particular hand I think you still need to examine the type of hands you're 3-betting with and your reasoning behind making those 3-bets.
Yeah I no what you mean benc, winning at low stakes like 10nl is basically 3 betting a wider range, being strict with your range in/out position and betting your value hands. Im sure ill have a good session tonight, doubt ill win 4 buy ins so today feels like a waste of a day. I no its long term but still want to just build momentum.
Boring doesn't it mean narrowing your range and being more aggressive with that narrow range? I 3 bet because im oop and wanted to take the incentive in the hand to make up for being oop, otherwise ill be c/f near enough every flop wont I? I agree with what your saying , like I said it felt soo wrong but I was getting in hands and folding so much to him, I didn't no how to adapt.
Two questions then:
"I 3 bet because im oop and wanted to take the incentive in the hand to make up for being oop, otherwise ill be c/f near enough every flop wont I?"
1) Why is our thinking in this situation about taking the betting lead?
Our thinking should be that if we 3-bet, our opponent folds range X calls with range Y and 4-bets with range Z. Then our hand strength will determine if 3-betting is the best thing to do given those ranges or if we'd rather not narrow his range by 3-betting.
2) If we think he's raising a wide range against us, why do we think we need to check-fold almost every flop?
If he has a wide range, our 77 can be good a lot of the time post-flop. Ideally we want to hit our set but we absolutely can't just be set-mining if we call pre-flop.
It's true that calling down post-flop is going to be difficult because we're out of position. That's just a fundamental problem of playing out of position against good players. If you think you will ever overcome that, well you're wrong. We can still win hands out of position but in the long run everything we do OOP will be dramatically less profitable than the things we do in position. If we constantly play OOP to good players, we'll lose money no matter how good we think we are.
So just accept that we're going to have to let him have a few of these hands when we're OOP. Keep those pots small unless we have a big hand.
If you're having trouble with a particular player, the best thing to do is tighten up your range when out of position and open up your range in position. Position is THE most important thing in poker. Most players say those words but don't understand them. Find out if this guy understands those words by seeing if he'll play OOP to you.
Update!
Just finished a 6 hour session of 4 tabling. Went well delighted I had a good session as I felt so low this morning after that bad session. So happy I made this diary as I thought of lamberts "your br will only grow with hard work" , benc and rancids encouragement and thought come on, you have knowledge you just need to use it correctly. Everyone who writes a diary has been through bad sessions and poker situations so its good I can get there view on things and see what they done to deal with it.
Had a bad start to the session, I bluffed off a stack I think and was down abit overall. Hit quads and got payed off as I overbet shoved the river when the board was A 9 9 9 3..... he called with AQ. Played well overall I think tonight, was thinking more and being more strict. Noticed some betting patterns of mine aswell which I could look for advice to improve on . Also need to have more stable confidence, poker is going to have highs and lows and I no ill be fine as long as I have the same thoughts weather im in a good or bad moment. Amazingly I finished just under 5 buy ins up so im actually in profit today, looking forward to a good day tomorrow which should take me closer to the £500 mark!!!
Also need 250 points more in my c4p for 3000 points, so about 7 1/2 hours needed before the end of sunday.
B/r: £429. 63 (highest since diary started)
Day: + 0.7 buy ins
Calcalfold: "countdown till busto.....tick tock"