good bye silver star

well this being the shortest month of the year and all i missed keeping my silver star by less than 200fpp's. :( oh well. the good news is that stars lowered the level for it now you only need 1200fpp's as opposed to the 1500. cool. i haven't played alot this past week. mostly SNG's. started off good then went down hill back to even. tonight(Saturday) i played the DON(double or nothings) played. 14 $10.40 started off great! 6/7 then went 9/14 total. then i played 3 $20.80 1/3 got KK cracked on the river real late by A/J/os. i actually like playing them mindless till the very end. i watched a few deuces cracked videos about ICM this week. so i started thinking about that much more and when i should be folding and pushing. it amazes me how many players still limp with less than 10BB. knowing what i know now makes me see thing much differently. i really enjoy the bubble play on these and the reg SNG's.

i am probly gonna download the free trail version of SNG WIZARD Sunday afternoon. and i think i might try playing a few trnys and satellites.

i fully realize that i can't stay playing the same game constantly. especially when i start to lose. i know this is hurting me in learning the games better but if i am going to be hating it i just can;t see trying to keep grinding away. i was very excited to try playing tonight.

oh yeah, i am on vacation for the next 16 days. so all i plan to do is grind online, watch 24, play some video games (new MLB '09), go see the WATCHMEN movie, and go play a couple of live cash games. one of buddies from MD is coming up this week so that will be cool to have someone to shoot the shit with about poker and such.

cash on sundays

i am officially done trying to play cash games on Sundays. i either don't adjust well to the players or i am just str8 up unlucky. i decided to cut down the amount of tables i play back to 2-4. i was trying to multi table 12 full ring tables i just can't do it. i do much better focusing on a few tables. i also decided to search for players that i have been winning against or that just plain old play badly.

this is what i mean.

***** Hand History for Game 25233722467 *****
$25.00 USD NL Texas Hold'em - Sunday, February 22, 02:22:29 ET 2009
Table Retsina II (Real Money)
Seat 3 is the button
Seat 1: fpso ( $25.00 USD )
Seat 2: BA32106 ( $28.95 USD )
Seat 3: d.sastar ( $33.95 USD )
Seat 4: Whitecaps2 ( $17.25 USD )
Seat 5: themerk08 ( $24.70 USD )
Seat 6: Belhalhar ( $25.60 USD )
Whitecaps2 posts small blind [$0.10 USD].
themerk08 posts big blind [$0.25 USD].
** Dealing down cards **
Dealt to themerk08 [ Jd Jc ]
Belhalhar folds
fpso raises [$1.00 USD]
BA32106 folds
d.sastar folds
Whitecaps2 folds
themerk08 raises [$2.25 USD]
fpso calls [$1.50 USD]
** Dealing Flop ** [ Js, 8h, Td ]
themerk08 bets [$3.25 USD]
fpso raises [$8.25 USD]
themerk08 raises [$18.95 USD]
fpso calls [$13.95 USD]
** Dealing Turn ** [ 9c ]
** Dealing River ** [ 3c ]
themerk08 shows [Jd, Jc ]
fpso shows [Ad, Qs ]
fpso wins $47.05 USD from main pot

and this.

***** Hand History for Game 25236304303 *****
$25.00 USD NL Texas Hold'em - Sunday, February 22, 03:22:45 ET 2009
Table Alstede (Real Money)
Seat 4 is the button
Seat 1: StnBuddha ( $25.35 USD )
Seat 2: themerk08 ( $37.90 USD )
Seat 3: xXBambi82Xx ( $15.00 USD )
Seat 4: El Patron49 ( $25.55 USD )
Seat 5: iceman74713 ( $20.95 USD )
Seat 6: Mareccc ( $35.45 USD )
iceman74713 posts small blind [$0.10 USD].
Mareccc posts big blind [$0.25 USD].
** Dealing down cards **
Dealt to themerk08 [ Qc Ac ]
StnBuddha folds
themerk08 raises [$1.00 USD]
xXBambi82Xx folds
El Patron49 folds
iceman74713 calls [$0.90 USD]
Mareccc calls [$0.75 USD]
** Dealing Flop ** [ Jd, 5d, Qs ]
iceman74713 checks
Mareccc bets [$2.00 USD]
themerk08 raises [$5.75 USD]
iceman74713 folds
Mareccc calls [$3.75 USD]
** Dealing Turn ** [ 7c ]
Mareccc checks
themerk08 bets [$12.50 USD]
Mareccc calls [$12.50 USD]
** Dealing River ** [ Ks ]
Mareccc checks
themerk08 checks
Mareccc shows [9d, Kd ]
Mareccc wins $37.60 USD from main pot
themerk08 doesn't show [Qc, Ac ]

and i ran bad. (coolers) ran AK/s and AQ/s into AA 2x flopping the case ACE each time.

i don't want sundays to affect me mentally and then stsrt playing badly due to it so i will maybe play trnys or SNG's on sunday's. i did do well last night. but lost almost 4 buy-ins today.

got another vacation coming up the first 2 weeks of march. i don't however think i am going to make silver star this month. i just haven't been able to put in the hours and with it being a shorter month that hurts. almost have my bonus unlocked so that is good.

deep stack

well i played the deep stack trny today on stars. i actually went to bed early so i could get my lazy ass out of bed to play this. i have played this 3 times before. but, it has been like 2 years since i have played it. i believe i final tabled 2 of those 3 times. i feel as thought this was my best outing and perhaps the best trny i have ever played. it is a delicate balance of aggression and Patience. i did draw out a few times. but in my defense i was betting and they were calling. i had 2 critical hands late. one of them would have propelled me to 145k in chips when only 1 player had 100k all in on flop my KK v AQ no AQ on flop or draw. i trapped him perfectly. until he wriggled away on the rivered ACE. UGH!!!!! well this is how it turned out for me.

PokerStars Tournament #14048777 1, No Limit Hold'em
Buy-In: $20.00/$2.00
243 players
Total Prize Pool: $4860.00
Tournament started 2009/02/16 8:15:00 ET


Dear themerk08,

You finished the tournament in 12th place. A $85.05 award has been credited to your Real Money account.


very disappointing. i fully expected to win this.




well i played a little cash game action. i watched a D.C. video today that got me to be more aggro. it felt odd.like i was playing on the verge of insanity. this ****** though played 95/20 !! and i have not encountered a player quite like him. i searched him on more tables but he is on block search. :( gonna look for him though from now on.


PokerStars Game #25030667751: Hold'em No Limit ($0.10/$0.25) - 2009/02/16 22:25:32 ET
Table 'Stavropolis' 6-max Seat #1 is the button
Seat 1: Raph222 ($42.75 in chips)
Seat 2: PIERTAM ($58 in chips)
Seat 3: krupnugz ($24.65 in chips)
Seat 4: shindoe ($37.50 in chips)
Seat 5: themerk08 ($44.25 in chips)
PIERTAM: posts small blind $0.10
krupnugz: posts big blind $0.25
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to themerk08 [Qc Ac]
shindoe: folds
themerk08: raises $0.50 to $0.75
Raph222: folds
PIERTAM: calls $0.65
krupnugz: folds
*** FLOP *** [5s Qs 6h]
PIERTAM: bets $0.25
themerk08: raises $1.75 to $2
PIERTAM: calls $1.75
*** TURN *** [5s Qs 6h] [8s]
PIERTAM: bets $7
elTriberium is connected
themerk08: raises $10 to $17
PIERTAM: calls $10
*** RIVER *** [5s Qs 6h 8s] [Qd]
PIERTAM: bets $38.25 and is all-in
themerk08: calls $24.50 and is all-in
Uncalled bet ($13.75) returned to PIERTAM
*** SHOW DOWN ***
PIERTAM: shows [2c 4s] (a pair of Queens)
themerk08: shows [Qc Ac] (three of a kind, Queens)
themerk08 collected $86.75 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot $88.75 | Rake $2
Board [5s Qs 6h 8s Qd]
Seat 1: Raph222 (button) folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 2: PIERTAM (small blind) showed [2c 4s] and lost with a pair of Queens
Seat 3: krupnugz (big blind) folded before Flop
Seat 4: shindoe folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 5: themerk08 showed [Qc Ac] and won ($86.75) with three of a kind, Queens

motivation

i need motivation. i just have been tired from work or when i start to play i just don't "feel it" i have played about 5k hands this past week. but probly 1/2 have been +EV hours. my bankroll is still sitting around the $750 mark.

i have tried to play some other games to get me wanting to play. but, i still just don't feel it. i have been doing this for about 2 months straight. so far if it wasn't for my trny wins. trading in my FPP's and winning trny tickets and winning 2x or nothings. i would be down more. not sure what i should do.

i have been watching D.C. videos, looking at my sessions afterwards. i have been playing full ring tables this past week. i think maybe if i play tighter i will win. looking at my graph i DO grind up some wins then i get it all in and lose. when i hit sets i don't get paid off. when others hit sets i have big hands(AA,KK,QQ) and can't get away.

the office cpr

i found it. no idea how long it will stay active for. funniest scene ever.



www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ecbjo2J5auM

up and down

i played Sunday. did awful in the 210FPP satellites. i actually went o fer 6. very disappointing. played 25nl. more of me getting beat. i did play the full ring though.

decided to just play sng's. and quickly changed my mind. i just can't see sitting and having an upside roi of 10% or less for the time i play. so i played full ring 10nl. 10 tables at a time. i was up 3 buy ins in 1k hands then started taking some sick beats. the big drop on the graph is just an insane hand. when i lost the player started to berate me. i wish i kept the whole HH. you can see the start of it though. he lost all the $$$ about 20 hands later playing just as badly.

and check out the thin all-in EV line. or as it should be called the BAD BEAT LINE. lol



PokerStars Game #24778660238: Hold'em No Limit ($0.05/$0.10) - 2009/02/10 0:49:43 ET
Table 'Memnon V' 9-max Seat #7 is the button
Seat 1: mikekelley13 ($18.25 in chips)
Seat 3: alacranco ($6 in chips)
Seat 5: guate71 ($19.80 in chips)
Seat 7: yeeaah135 ($21.90 in chips)
Seat 8: themerk08 ($21.70 in chips)
Seat 9: PoBoy321 ($8.35 in chips)
themerk08: posts small blind $0.05
PoBoy321: posts big blind $0.10
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to themerk08 [As Ah]
mikekelley13: folds
alacranco: folds
guate71: calls $0.10
yeeaah135: calls $0.10
themerk08: raises $0.50 to $0.60
PoBoy321: calls $0.50
guate71: calls $0.50
yeeaah135: folds
*** FLOP *** [Tc 3d 4d]
themerk08: bets $1.40
PoBoy321: raises $2.10 to $3.50
guate71: folds
themerk08: raises $17.60 to $21.10 and is all-in
PoBoy321: calls $4.25 and is all-in
Uncalled bet ($13.35) returned to themerk08
*** TURN *** [Tc 3d 4d] [7h]
*** RIVER *** [Tc 3d 4d 7h] [5s]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
themerk08: shows [As Ah] (a pair of Aces)
PoBoy321: shows [6h Th] (a straight, Three to Seven)
Travis63703 joins the table at seat #4
PoBoy321 said,

"eat a ****"

PoBoy321 collected $16.55 from pot
PoBoy321 is sitting out
sarah45 joins the table at seat #6
PoBoy321 has returned
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot $17.40 | Rake $0.85
Board [Tc 3d 4d 7h 5s]
Seat 1: mikekelley13 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 3: alacranco folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 5: guate71 folded on the Flop
Seat 7: yeeaah135 (button) folded before Flop
Seat 8: themerk08 (small blind) showed [As Ah] and lost with a pair of Aces
Seat 9: PoBoy321 (big blind) showed [6h Th] and won ($16.55) with a straight, Three to Seven

quick update

Been busting my ass at work the past week haven't had the time or ENERGY to even play. but tonight i finally tried playing the 2x or nothing trnys with my trny tickets that i earned with my FPP's. the results you ask well.....


PokerStars Tournament #139309335, No Limit Hold'em
Buy-In: $5.00/$0.40
10 players
Total Prize Pool: $50.00
Tournament started 2009/02/08 1:12:06 ET


Dear themerk08,

You finished the tournament in 1st place. A $10.00 award has been credited to your Real Money account.


Congratulations!

Thank you for participating.

i played 8 of them and cashed in 6 of them!!!! so that is $60!! nice considering i was gonna use 5000 fpp's for $50 instead i have used like 2000. i also used a few trny tickets for my league and some other trnys. for $0. :(

i have a hand hist. i want to post of the awfull play in these maybe i will post it later. it's laughable really. no. it's not a bad beat on me. just theplay of these players with 6 left and 1 player sitting out has like 200 left and sitting out and players are going crazy playing vs each other!! lol

2x or nothing

well today i thought of a brilliant idea of a better way to cash in on my FPP's that i won trny$$ with. play the 2x or nothings!! less variance than a trny. less variance than a SNG. and i pay zippy to enter so it is all profit. i would need to do the math. but it might actually be more profitable than doing rake back on full tilt poker. but i hate math.

so i use 210FPP'S on the 20k satellites. which equals=$11 when i win and i am cashing on those so far at a pretty decent clip. use that to enter a 2x or nothing. so i could actually get $20 for 210fpp's. instead of $50 for 50000fpp's. i will give this a go wed. night.

went back to work today. that sucked. but.... i am off of work for 16 days starting March 1. yeah that's right 2 more weeks off. i carried over a week and a half of vacation time from last year. so i am taking 6 weeks+ off this year. niiiiice. :)

oh, the razzzz league trny. blah. went out in 9th place i believe. such a stupid/sick game. oh well. that's fine for the points. i was free rolling in it anyhow. FPP's baby. wOOOOOt.

last night i played the 4-handed PLO trny. 88 players. top 12 cash. went out in 16th. i am going deep in it almost everytime. ever since that 1st time though. i get shit for hands to play. you can check out my trny progress at this link.

http://www.officialpokerrankings.com/pokerstars/themerk08/poker/results/E952358EFC14478DAB96CBC9F727E95A.html?t=2

i have JUST missed cashing in it 4 other times. it's not that i get low on chips i just get decent hands and by that point 1 of the top 4 in chips is usually at my table and they bust me. anyhow like i have said it is a very soft field. i will keep plugging away at it.

i am trying to take a little time off from cash games. that 8 buy in down swing yesterday really got me bitter. lol $74 and i am bitter. that's how serious i am about being a winning player online.

razzzzzz!

tonight is league night tonight. and the format is razz. you can join our league if ya want. just click on the link to the blog MD Donk Fest Poker League over on the left.

hi variance!!

this is how it looks after i played a brutal 10nl session.
hands-577
-$42.70

i really just feel like i would be making a mistake to fold over pairs vs these players. but i am starting to see if the player has stats like...

vpip- (10-18)
pre.flp raise-(5-18)

they are usually so tight that they have at least 2pr or better.


i played this one well. still it sukssss!

Free hand converter brought to you by CardRunners

Seat 1: Villain 1 ($9.35)
Seat 2: Villain 2 ($12.10)
Seat 3: Villain 3 ($2.60)
Seat 4: Villain 4 ($27.30) -
Seat 5: Hero ($22.35) -
Seat 6: Villain 5 ($19.55) -


PRE-FLOP:

Hero posts small blind $0.05
Villain 5 posts BIG blind $0.10
Dealt To: Hero


FOLD Villain 1
FOLD Villain 2
CALL Villain 3 ($0.10)
CALL Villain 4 ($0.10)
RAISE Hero ($0.60)
FOLD Villain 5
CALL Villain 3 ($0.50)
CALL Villain 4 ($0.50)


FLOP:

Pot: $1.95
   

BET Hero ($1.50)
RAISE Villain 3 ($2)
RAISE Villain 4 ($4)
FOLD Hero


TURN:

Pot: $9.45
     



RIVER:

Pot: $9.45
      



SHOWDOWN:
Villain 3:

Villain 4:


Villain 4 collected $7.05 from main pot

SUMMARY:
Total pot: $7 Rake: $0.35

Final Board:
     

Seat 1: Villain 1 folded before Flop didnt bet - Net Gain/Loss: ($0)
Seat 2: Villain 2 folded before Flop didnt bet - Net Gain/Loss: ($0)
Seat 3: Villain 3 showed [9c Kd] and lost with three of a kind, Kings - Net Gain/Loss: ($-2)
  
Seat 4: Villain 4 button showed [Js Kc] and won 7.05 with three of a kind, Kings - Net Gain/Loss: ($5.05)
  
Seat 5: Hero small blind folded on the Flop - Net Gain/Loss: ($-2.05)
Seat 6: Villain 5 big blind folded before Flop - Net Gain/Loss: ($-0.1)


Free hand converter brought to you by CardRunners

i wasn't playing crazy enough for him to think he was gOOt enough to get it in but he did anyhow.

Free hand converter brought to you by CardRunners

Seat 1: Villain 1 ($9.35)
Seat 2: Villain 2 ($12.10)
Seat 3: Villain 3 ($14.10) -
Seat 4: Villain 4 ($27.80) -
Seat 5: Hero ($11.50) -
Seat 6: Villain 5 ($19.55)


PRE-FLOP:

Villain 4 posts small blind $0.05
Hero posts BIG blind $0.10
Dealt To: Hero


FOLD Villain 5
FOLD Villain 1
FOLD Villain 2
CALL Villain 3 ($0.10)
CALL Villain 4 ($0.05)
RAISE Hero ($0.50)
CALL Villain 3 ($0.40)
CALL Villain 4 ($0.40)


FLOP:

Pot: $1.6
   

CHECK Villain 4
BET Hero ($1.30)
RAISE Villain 3 ($2.60)
FOLD Villain 4
RAISE Hero ($6.20)
RAISE Villain 3 ($9.80)
RAISE Hero ($11)
CALL Villain 3 ($1.20)


TURN:

Pot: $33.7
     



RIVER:

Pot: $33.7
      



SHOWDOWN:
Hero:

MUCK Villain 3

Hero collected $22.35 from main pot

SUMMARY:
Total pot: $23 Rake: $1.15

Final Board:
     

Seat 1: Villain 1 folded before Flop didnt bet - Net Gain/Loss: ($0)
Seat 2: Villain 2 folded before Flop didnt bet - Net Gain/Loss: ($0)
Seat 3: Villain 3 button mucked [Ah 9s] - Net Gain/Loss: ($-9.8)
  
Seat 4: Villain 4 small blind folded on the Flop - Net Gain/Loss: ($-0.05)
Seat 5: Hero big blind showed [Jh Jc] and won 22.35 with two pair, Jacks and Deuces - Net Gain/Loss: ($14.45)
Seat 6: Villain 5 folded before Flop didnt bet - Net Gain/Loss: ($0)


Free hand converter brought to you by CardRunners

one of my bad beats. i try not to post them. but as this was running out i was saying to myself i lost. :(

Free hand converter brought to you by CardRunners

Seat 1: Villain 1 ($9.45)
Seat 2: Villain 2 ($11.80) -
Seat 3: Villain 3 ($9.75) -
Seat 4: Villain 4 ($32.40) -
Seat 5: Hero ($20)
Seat 6: Villain 5 ($19.50)


PRE-FLOP:

Villain 3 posts small blind $0.05
Villain 4 posts BIG blind $0.10
Dealt To: Hero


RAISE Hero ($0.40)
FOLD Villain 5
CALL Villain 1 ($0.40)
RAISE Villain 2 ($1.60)
FOLD Villain 3
CALL Villain 4 ($1.50)
RAISE Hero ($6)
FOLD Villain 1
RAISE Villain 2 ($11.80)
FOLD Villain 4
CALL Hero ($5.80)


FLOP:

Pot: $27.65
   



TURN:

Pot: $27.65
     



RIVER:

Pot: $27.65
      



SHOWDOWN:
Hero:

Villain 2:


Villain 2 collected $24.4 from main pot

SUMMARY:
Total pot: $25 Rake: $1.25

Final Board:
     

Seat 1: Villain 1 folded before Flop - Net Gain/Loss: ($0)
Seat 2: Villain 2 button showed [Kd Kc] and won 24.40 with a full house, Kings full of Threes - Net Gain/Loss: ($17)
  
Seat 3: Villain 3 small blind folded before Flop - Net Gain/Loss: ($-0.05)
Seat 4: Villain 4 big blind folded before Flop - Net Gain/Loss: ($-0.1)
Seat 5: Hero showed [Ad Ah] and lost with two pair, Aces and Threes - Net Gain/Loss: ($-6)
Seat 6: Villain 5 folded before Flop didnt bet - Net Gain/Loss: ($0)


Free hand converter brought to you by CardRunners

at least i hope i am not posting many bad beats. i am going to try and get in 1 more session before i have to go back to work. if i do i will update it here.