Slow going

So much for 4k hands this week - I have managed just under 2k. I am just way to busy to play much poker, and even when I do have a free evening I don't seem to be able to keep up the concentration for over an hour playing 9 tables. Anyway, when I have played it has not gone great. Three times in 1 session I was down $100 and each time I bought it back to break-even, finally stopping when I was up $2.21. Apart from that I had only 2 very short sessions, and only made about $10. As well as this, A Game re-united to try to take down a big tourney but with no luck, losing about $20.

Part of the problem this week is that I have been losing quite a lot with AA, with only a 50% win record. I think I am playing them well and I know this will change with time, so I'm not pissed off. One stack I lost with AA goes like this:

- MP makes it $2 and I make it $6.50 in the SB. MP calls.
- The flop is 2-8-4
- I bet $8.50, he calls
- I plan to check-raise the turn
- The turn is a J, I check, he bets $15 and I push
- He calls with JJ. The river is another J.

But I'm happy with how I played it so nevermind. On to next week.

A hug.

Hands: 6,542
Profit: $470.50
VPPs: 1,333

I can't miss!

I have been crazily busy this week and so have hardly played. I thought that after my exam on Monday (it went really badly!) I would have more time to play, but so far that hasn't happened. Maybe next week. So I have only played 3 sessions this week and this is how they've gone...

Session 1
This only lasted about an hour and was pretty up and down. I lost 2 big pots early on with AK (both of which I could've possibly gotten away from) and then was stuck a bit. But then I hit 3 beautiful/lucky hands to get me back in the game! Firstly I had QQ v 88 on a KK2-8-Q board. Then I got all-in with AdTd v 33 on a 8d-6d-3 flop and managed to hit. Finally, some loser was nice enough to pay me off with AT v Q7 on a 7A7-Q-K board. SO after all the excitement I ended the session up about half a buy-in.

Session 2
I won almost the exact same amount in the next session, but it wasn't nearly as exciting. I was missing every flop, and despite not losing more than about $5 on any hand, I was about $50 down after half an hour. Then there' s a limp UTG and I make it $2.50 in the BB with AQ. UTG calls. The flop is Q64. I bet $3.50, he calls. The turn is a K, not ideal. I check, he bets $7.50 and I call (?). The river is a 10 and I check/call $16. He had 33, but I think I was pretty lucky here and he often has me beat. I obviously tilted him though because the next hand he stacked off with his K2 against my AK.

Session 3
This session was one of those rare sessions where everything hits. You raise 77 and flop 7-7-6. You hit every draw, and every steal turns into the nuts. Good times. Example 1 - I raise KQ on the button and the BB calls. The flop is AJ10. He has AJ. Nice. Example 2 - I call a re-raise with TT and the flop is AT2. He has AK. Nice again. Example 3 - I get all-in with KK, and he has QQ. Ideal. Example 4 - I get all-in with Ad3d v JJ on a Jd-2d-4 flop and hit. So after all that fun I ended up winning about 3 and a half buy-ins in 38 minutes. Good times.

This week I need to try and play more! I would hope for at least 4k hands this week, but you never know.

A hug.

Hands: 4,548
Profit: $456
VPPs: 900

Going OK

Well I definitely don't think I am going to hit my target of 14k hands this month as we're approaching the halfway point and I've not even cleared 3k, but nevermind. I have an exam on Monday so it's probably a good thing.

I have been analysing my play a bit and I really think I need to loosen up a bit. At the moment I have a VPIP of 15% I raise 11% of hands pre-flop, which isn't too bad, but I think I can afford to play a few more hands. It's quite hard when you are playing 9 tables though, and things are still going ok at the moment so I have no real need to change but it might be more fun andf a bit more profitable. I also need to work on my positional play and steal more blinds.

So this week I've only played a couple of times but it's gone ok. Firstly I had a pretty sweet session where I won $113 in under an hour, mainly by getting in with AA v 56s (people are loving their 56s!) and by getting a bit lucky and getting in with QQ v AK on a Q-J-10-5 board and rivering a J.

I then played again yesterday and quickly lost $100, mainly from being unable to fold AA even when it was pretty obvious I was beat. However, I stuck around and eventually managed to stack the same player and made about a $40 profit.

Hands: 2,687
Profit: $217.80
VPPs: 500

First weekly update

I didn't do weekly updates because I didn't have enough to write about, and this time I definitely don't. I was on holiday Monday to Friday and I've only managed to have one quick session since I've been back, and that only lasted about half an hour. I managed to win nearly $50 which was pretty good though, but it was Friday.

One hand that shows PokerStars Friday night fun...

- I have KK UTG and make it $2. The button makes it $6.50 and the SB calls. I make it $18, the button folds and the SB pushes. I call and he has 56s. Nice.

So, monthly stats so far:

Hands: 353
Profit: $49.25
VPPs: 91