I'm Just Not That Into You

Sorry, poker. I just haven't been feelin' ya lately... dawg.

To say I've been in a funk is an understatement. I have played a bit. I played one tourney a day for a week, with a single cash.

The last few days I've been testing the deep PLO8 tables. Somehow, peeps are still able to short stack there. Angle shooting sons of bitches - you just can't avoid them anymore.

I'm planning to write pro vs. con posts on poker tournaments. It's interesting to view how the (online) tourney landscape has changed in just a few short years.

I'm afraid life away from the felt is also going slow. I find a lot of little things are keeping me away from the PC.

Good luck to everyone playing in the WSOP. I decided to buy a scratch-off lottery ticket instead. One of these years I will get there, before I go donk down.

There's A Karmic Lesson Here Somewhere

This may turn out to be a rambling post.

I'm trying to reach a higher understanding of my poker abilities. I've been doing this for about 5 years, including a few breaks. I still enjoy my time at the felt, but I wonder aloud if it's ever going anywhere.

I spent the first half of last week playing Stud 8, with bad results. As I have said before, it's swingy. I experienced back to back -50BB sessions.
A-2-3-4-brick-brick-brick... it happened five times over these sessions.

In Stud I consider 50BB equal to one buy-in. There is more betting than Hold 'em or Omaha. You can lose 10BB one a single hand easily. Plus five hands folding on 3rd street equals -1BB.

The bad sessions don't really get me down. It's the absence of the good sessions that destroy my faith. My "M.O." during a losing streak is to become somewhat gun shy. Play shorter sessions with shorter stacks. Of course, this limits the amounts I can win (or lose).

I am very good about never playing outside of my bankroll. Perhaps too good. By being such a nit I never go busto, but I constantly struggle to reach beyond the micro limits. And I tire of playing the same limits even if the games are different.

Maybe someday I will grow a pair and go Waffles style (taking a shot much higher VERY under rolled).

The second half of the week I played Stud Hi with moderate success. I've earned back about 80% of my Stud 8 losses. I find the Stud Hi games to be much tighter, but much easier to multi-table. I'd like to tighten up my Stud skills and take them to the casino this summer.

I'm still tilted by the blatant ratholing. I call out anyone who does it at my table, and make sure everyone there knows about it. I'll play with a short stack if a known ratholer is at my table.

So I continue to grind, basically spinning my wheels. Going nowhere fast, here's a list of my recent poker thoughts:

1) I've had losing results for 2008. (Been very close to even a few times.)
2) I've been so unsuccessful in tournaments, I rarely play them unless they are value-added or have an overlay.
3) I think online poker is still profitable, but not at the stakes I'm currently playing.
4) My immediate goal is to grind a big enough bankroll to play live this summer.
5) Regardless of what any book or expert says, it appears hit & run poker is the most popular means of profit taking.
6) Although I am somewhat beaten down by my results, I still have a desire to improve my game.
7) I still want poker to be a part of my life, but I'm not sure where it belongs at the moment.
8) Although I think many players rely too much on data mining, poker software has made today's games MUCH tougher.
9) I actually think the most rampant cheating goes on in tournament poker, live AND online. It's only cheating if you get caught, right? (More on this another day.)

Well, it feels good to get that all out of my system. I really feel like I'm in a poker limbo. I've always said I would be happy being a totally anonymous player - making his daily nut and going home without fanfare. It would be cool to win a big event but who would you rather be: A) The one everyone wants to beat, or B) The "mark" who appears to be nothing but a chump, but still earns his share.

My Two Cents Isn't Worth That Much

I've been asked by a few people about my thoughts on the WSOP "new" format. For the few of you that don't already know, the final table will be delayed three months, being played out November 9-11. That's the ACTUAL event, not just the tv broadcast.

My initial thought is - don't play in WSOP main event, regardless of the format. It is a huge variance event with tons of collusion and angle shooting. Some tournament players argue that it's +EV because of all the dead money. Well, if you are not colluding (and you know others are), you'll have to run sweet baby Jesus HOT for at least a week. When is the last time that happened? For me, probably never.

Now if you win yourself a seat with travel/lodging, you are basically freerolling. Donk it up and have some fun.

As for the new format, I can sum it up in three words: Bad Idea Jeans. Within the three months layover, there will be back room deals and collusion without question. The stamina factor of the final table is gone, with three months to rest up. Players will get coaching and all of the "name" pros (not playing) will do anything to get that valuable tv time.

Simply put, they are trying to turn the most prestigious poker tournament into a reality show. Since ESPN pays the coverage rights, they have a say in how it's covered.

(The two things I would like to remove from that coverage are Milwaukee's Best and Norman Chad.)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Leave it to Full Tilt to mess up a good thing. They've added two additional layers of Happy Hours. Now you can play almost any time and get additional points. This hurts the texture of my sessions, as players are ratholing again. Now I find myself playing quick hits.

Happy Hour... Well, It Makes Me Kinda Happy

Full Tilt has started a Happy Hour promotion, offering double points playing during designated times. While not much of an increased value, it offers a different - perhaps psychological - incentive to play.

Playing Stud 8 has been a constant battle against short stacking and ratholing. I've also been walking that line of when to quit; up xBB or down -xBB. If the game is good, why leave? If the game is dry, why stay?

Happy Hour synergizes those issues. A bunch of the ratholers stay, because they know there's a long wait if they stand up. And now I play on a schedule. I end my sessions at the same time, win or lose.

Not to say that it's always peachy keen 23 skidoo. Last night I tilted hard, losing two big pots against the same two opponents. My 2345 versus two flush draws ended up with a 7 low - one of the flushes caught runner runner wheel. Two hands later - I get all my money in with A234567 - only to get quartered versus another A234567 (against 789TJ straight).

Funny thing was that the table broke up. Everyone knew I was on rabid monkey tilt and no one stayed.

I ended the session down -8BB, not bad at all.

The Way Of The Grind

Things have been pretty quiet here as of late.

I've been playing Stud 8 every day for the last three weeks. I'm back on the Iron Man program on FT. I keep telling myself I should play more Stud, because that is what they spread daily at Turning Stone.

Anyway it takes me about 2 hours 10 minutes to complete my daily points (2 tabling Stud) at the lowest stakes. At that rate almost anyone should be able to reach Iron Man status, or at least build a bankroll. The games are pretty soft up to $2/$4.

However, these games are also swingy. (Ignore that variance behind the curtain!) It is not uncommon to have a -50bb session, even when you play tight ABC poker. Sometimes the cards are just unkind.

Also, there's a lot of short stacking and rat holing, which is allowed by both FTP and Stars. IMO, they are only hurting their own rake by allowing players to take this money off the table.

I am pleased to say that I've done well enough to almost reach the break even point in poker for 2008. That amount doesn't include any rake back or rewards, yet it does include all tournament entry fees. I haven't done squat in tourneys this year. Cash games seem to provide a much better hourly rate.

(Of course, any poker profit/loss figures doesn't include my fantasy sports winnings.)

All in all, I feel good about things. Dug myself out of a hole for 2008. Trying to rebuild a decent poker bankroll. Tournaments are looking less appealing with each passing day.

Hella Lame Self-Portrait

If I were on South Park. Yes, I know it has been done before.

Notice the lack of excitement while drinking coffee in front of my PC. Pretty much sums up every day for me.