Sunday, December 6, 2009

To the Bottom and Back Again (The Where the Hell Have You Been Post)

My head was still a mess from "the beat" and the subsequent bad luck that had befallen my trip from Saturday onward. The damages from the trip were basically 3/4ths my entire roll. 1/4th going toward the buy-in, 2/4ths going toward poker and table game losses and the other 1/4th safely tucked away in my online account. And if you read my trip report, you could tell that I started the losses draining from online as well.
Basically I was lucky enough to get out of Vegas with some bankroll still left in tact, and I had to salvage what I had left (bankroll and sanity).

Naturally, I thought I could just play through it, just like a slumping batter has to hit through the slump, so 2 days after I got back from Vegas I was at a table in Foxwoods playing a bounty tourney. To make a long story short: I made a sould read of this dorky Canadian guy who I thought was bluffing a flush draw on the turn, turns out he was just bluffing and bluffing dead. Got his bounty and knocked another person out. At the first break I was crusing at 10k above the average, hot streak continued into the second hour until I got involved in a hand I knew I shouldn't but I did because of my earlier sould read... I had A-J in an unraised hand in position, 3 people in. The UTG guy was one of those older folk you know spend almost every waking moment in the poker room because they have nothing better to do. This guy in particular I know I had seen/played him before but I couldn't recall any hands. So after the limp pre-flop and A hits the flop on an uncoordianted board, BB checks and UTG bets a smallish amount. At this point I want to isolate because while I think UTG may have an Ace I cant see him that strongly limp pre UTG. I bump and after some though and staring he re-raises. I feel in my heart of hearts I have this guy beat so I push all-in and he snap-calls.

A-J vs A-Q

Except this time it plays out like 88% of the time it should, he takes it down and he has me covered.

Deflated I wonder upstairs and sit down at a blackjack table, before I know it Im down another 400. Im feeling like complete shit when Alissa stops by to see how Im doing and Im looking like i just got punched in the gut a bunch. She suggests I stop (like any rational person would) but unwavering as usual I push onward and head over to a $25 Pai Gow table. Not 2 hours later ive got my 400 back plus abother 400 to boot. The entire family ends up heading on over to Mohegan where I continue my roll, winning 100 on rouletter, 100 on craps. A shitty day turned into a profitable one.

So why do I tell you about the last part? Well I gave up poker in person & online and dedicated myself to playing Pai Gow for a month and a half, testing myself to see how well I could do. Well like all table games, my streak ended and by the beginning of Septemeber I was completely tapped for cash on hand (when I say this I mean my gamblin money not essenetial money to maintain either my or my girlfriend's lifestyle, just to be clear) and I took some bad beats online to get me down to under a grand online. So I did one of the smartest things I had done in awhile and withdrew it all and stuff it into our savings. Not to be touched until I could justify it.

And there it still remains.

So thats the story, in that time I havent really thought about poker other than the monthly home games, which I also had been doing really shitty in.

Which brings us to tonight, I felt good. I ended up cashing in 4 of 6 tourneys with 2 wins. The final game I ran Js into As but not much you can do there on a 3-3-2 board.

So im back, and I'm starting the long journey back to the WSOP. I don't know if I'll get there this year but if things keep running well who knows. Kinda a half-assed first post no hands or strategy to speak of, but then again Ive never really been known for the math or strategy, thats what the other bloggers are for.

Hopefully I can make my re-journey a reality and I hope you all enjoy the ride via my blog (and twitter!)

8 comments:

Hammer Player a.k.a Hoyazo said...

Glad you're back big man. And glad to finally hear the story of your sudden disappearance. Looking fwd to sitting with you at the virtual tables again soon.

BLAARGH! said...

Great to see you back, you big fish!

The only problem I see you having here (and the lesson you should walk away with) is really really really bad bankroll management. You definitely have the poker chops, but your style is pretty high variance. You're either gonna FT, or get kicked in the junk. You have to expect to lose a bunch of tourneys and you have to have the BR to accommodate it... and don't get me started on table games.... ugh.

And what the hell were you doing shoving AJ into an UTG rock!!!! I'm surprised he didn't show AA there. At the very least keep the pot small if you can! You played it like you were Blaargh or something!

Again, glad to see you back - maybe see you at foxwoods in Jan - I'll let you know if it happens.

1Queens Up1 said...

Thanks guys, glad to see you still read this.

Jordan said...

This stuff is way better than hand histories or strategy. I've been where you are, having suffered debilitating losses to a bankroll that took months to build. Hopefully, you'll be able to get back on track. Just remember that the siren call of table games is a trap; you cannot win, period, over the long haul. So, stick with poker as much as you are able. Good luck.

Joe (aka Unimpressed) said...

You should have folded those Jacks after the flop... It's me. I only peddle the nuts. :)

I'm surprised I didn't know how into teh table game you were. That's like heroin buddy. That's where the gambling addicts go. It's one thing to sit and play a game just for fun. With the exception of maybe blackjack (I can't attest to your ability), house games are about the casino taking your money. It's all about odds. If you're winning, 2 other people are losing. Those games are NOT beatable. If they were, Casinos would not stay in business.

PokahDave said...

No wonder you were so disenchanted with Vegas. Good to see you back....

SmBoatDrinks said...

Welcome back! Hope to see you in Vegas in June again!

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