[Closed] RahXephon1 - Now playing NL50 with 100BB - Force of Will

23.9.2009

Another day, another crazy session yesterday. There was a Full tilt software update and several new tables which were for 8 players only. This is not great for shortstack strategy, but the players there were the most incredible fishes ever. On each table there was one or two players with a VPIP over 50%. That off course means very hectic action, family pots and big swings. Also there was a player marked in red, but he seemed very fishy (also the tables he was on were highlighted in red). I stacked him a couple of times. There was a time during this session that everything seemed just unreal, like Full tilt was pulling a prank and adding bot fishes to the tables.

Well that's the good news, the bad news is that I finished the session 3,5BI in red numbers. I try not to feel to bad about it since my ev was more then 200$ above the finishing score. I played my longest session ever on this limit trying to get even, but in the end I was very tired, so I let it go at -70$. Well during the session I was near -200$ for a time, so is not that bad, also I should get around 40$ in rakeback for that session alone.

Now if the current trend will continue, I really need to make some adaptations to my play. Yesterday I rasied countless time from mid and late position with Aq/AJ 88/99 only to get two calls. Those hands are really not very good in those pots. I think that I should tighten up even more on those tables.

That's it for now, have a nice day.

Originally posted by RahXephon1
22.9.2009

Lately I have been experimenting with my betsizes on the button. I'm trying the minraise against people that are vey loose when defending their blinds. My reasoning is that I put them in many tough spots that way. If they call I get to see a cheap flop in position, which makes many hands playable and also I can abuse people that are too agressive. Another way to make this profitable is that some people still tend to push all in to resteal, which should make it profitable for me to trap them with a strong hand. Also by just observing opponents plays and making notes I should get many nice reads. Has anyone got any experience with those kinds of plays?

hmmm, i wouldnt do that often, as you know, with miniraise steals "loose" blinds will call you more often with very marginal hands also, what means they can flip something more often, if you are stealing - restealing, then you have to steal strong, otherwise your monsters will get cracked more often, but this is only my experience, if you have really good stats, then you can also adjust your steal, but i wouldnt do that in SSS.

Hey Drachdudek I saw you playing yesterday, what do you think about the new 8/8 tables. Yesterday there was an incredible number of fishes on them.

Have you noticed that?

Hey, i saw you too :):), when you came, i just left ;), i dont want that good shortstacker is reducing my profit ♠_cry:

Yes, i noticed yesterday, a lot of full 8/8 tables lately, very interesting. My opinion is positive, but also you have to adjust the play and the game speed is much faster, so you do not have a lot of time, but in general is positive, as 8/8 tables are usually more fishy, but yesterday in that time was really "mad" on this tables, it looked really fishy, but anway i didnt make some profit (except of rake), as due to very loose and "mad" play i had more bad beats as usuall. And how was your play yesterday and your opinion about more 8/8 tables as usual?

Uppsss, sorry for my question, i didnt notice that you already posted your opinion about the play yesterday :):)

Yes very loose and mad are the right words. Still I think if it stays like that for a while it should be profitable.

24.9.2009

Today I really wanted to do a different update.

Let's talk about my leaks (those are not just related to poker, but as everything in our lives, it interferes with poker):

-Leak#1:

I'm lazy. Chronicaly, patologicaly, always. I always perform at 10% of my capabilities, I would do anything to get the easier way out. I would not work for 1 hour today, if that would mean saving ten hours of work tomorrow. I'm dead serious about that. I only become motivated if I'm really excited about something, which off course can never last a very long time. In poker that usually means, that I know I should study a concept, but I prefer to play on and on without a better edge, than sacrificing one day to master something and than being a better player forever.

-Leak#2:

I talk when I should be listening. When I'm debating with someone and the debate gets interesting, I want to express everything that I'm thinking. I would go on and on for hours if someone shows just a little interest. I feel very smart when I do this. The problem with that aproach off course is that I never learn anything that way. Let's say I have a sweat session with a better player. If I'm the one doing most of the talking, I will never absorb anything. Also it will make me look stupid when I'm talking in an inapropriate moment or company.

Leak#3:

I give up. Too easily. When I feel progress in anything I'm extremely motivated. I can go on for hours, I'm 110% concentrated. When I reach a treshold which I cannot pass, I make a million excuses for myself. I blame others, I blame lack of opportunities, I blame everything but myself. I start thinking the world is against me, I fail to accept my leaks, I become bitter when looking at people that are succesfull, thinking they were just luckier or had better opportunities.

Leak#4:

I'm not organized. The top of my desk is a mess. If I would live alone I would probably already started life on earth again in my kitchen sink. The funny thing is I would really love to be organized. I admire people that always have everything on it's place, I just can't manage it. I think this mostly comes from leak#1. In poker this means, I don't keep notes in my opponents, I can't arange a schedule for playing, studying.

Leak#5:

I don't like to be put out of my comfort zone. I just love it there. I would like to play against the 7 same bad guys everyday. I would not miss the challenge, I would just enjoy crushing them over and over and feeling great. I don't feel the drive to prove I'm better than someone, I just want to be winning with the minimum investment of energy. It's not that I'm bad at adapting, I just don't want to.

Phew... It felt really nice to put that on immaginary paper.

The thing that really amazes me thinking about all of the above is that I always prouded myself about being an extremely rational person and yet if you take a look those leaks, they are all completely irrational behavior.

I hope I didn't put you in a bad mood with those and I hope you'll still like me now that you really know me ♠_o:

Have a nice day!

Originally posted by drachdudek

Originally posted by RahXephon1
22.9.2009

Lately I have been experimenting with my betsizes on the button. I'm trying the minraise against people that are vey loose when defending their blinds. My reasoning is that I put them in many tough spots that way. If they call I get to see a cheap flop in position, which makes many hands playable and also I can abuse people that are too agressive. Another way to make this profitable is that some people still tend to push all in to resteal, which should make it profitable for me to trap them with a strong hand. Also by just observing opponents plays and making notes I should get many nice reads. Has anyone got any experience with those kinds of plays?

hmmm, i wouldnt do that often, as you know, with miniraise steals "loose" blinds will call you more often with very marginal hands also, what means they can flip something more often, if you are stealing - restealing, then you have to steal strong, otherwise your monsters will get cracked more often, but this is only my experience, if you have really good stats, then you can also adjust your steal, but i wouldnt do that in SSS.

I think if people start to call me lightly, is not that bad since I'm in position. Also many times they will not believe me when I show strenght and will get stacked with middle pair or worse. On the other hand on position my folds and continuation bets will be much cheaper and my draws will be easier to play profitably.

If the player doesn't call me but goes all in with a wide range, the small steal cost, should make it profitable for me to wait for a hand that crushes he's range and I also think that sometimes he'll still have to fold, kind of a small ball strategy. If he starts to minraise me back, he'll be giving me great odds to call with playable hands in position, or even pot commit him should I push over the top.

Off course I'll loose value with my monsters, but they don't really have much value anyway since even if the guy is very loose he'll probably just fold the first time I try to steal after 3 orbits of just folding.

hey guys (drachdudek and rahxephon), i noticed you both playing on some of my NL100 tables on ftp in the last couple of days

What a session

3000 hands

AA 14 times won 20$ (I BI) all in 5 times lost 3
AKs 12 times lost 50$(2,5 BIs)
AKo 23 times won 6$
AQs 6 times lost 5$
AQo 22 times WON 62$
KK 13 times lost 5$
QQ 18 times, won less than a buy in
JJ 13 times won half BI

I think I handled all the beats pretty fine, just didn't want to leave the session at this results. More than tilted i became tired and in the end I also managed to do the ultimate donkey play. After doubling up I get KQ raise and get called by a deep stack. Flop is K42, I contibet the guy calls. Turn 6, Pot is 14bb villain goes all in for 40 more bbs. I call and he shows 35 for the nuts.

Nice hand sir! Overall session loss 200+ dollars

On the subject of being organized, and having a system. You do have a system, no system is a system ^^

Originally posted by Kruppe
hey guys (drachdudek and rahxephon), i noticed you both playing on some of my NL100 tables on ftp in the last couple of days

Hey Kruppe, what is you nickname, that i ll not you as "regular"... :f_cool:,but i probably and already did...

my nick is Keruli
i just started NL100 2 weeks or so ago, but i may try to play 100kh/month or something

29.9.2009

September is comming to an end. It was my first month playing NL100, the results were kinda mixed. In the first 15 days I made more than 1,5K but in the last 15 days i haven't increased my bankroll even a little. I have been running more than 500$ under EV. If I was a conspiracy theory man, I would say that FT is screwing me since I made my first withdraw. That also means that my winrate is just 0,40 bb/100 over 50k hands.

In light of all that next month will be NL100 time again. I think it will be a good choice, since I still need some confidence, I need to improve my tilt resistance and mostly I need to improve my postflop skills before I get to play against people able to exploit me a lot. Hopefully I will have a even nicer month.

I'm also thinking about opening an account on another site to do some bonus whoring and so on. Don't get me wrong I really like full tilt for the moment, but it really doesn't have a way to give you a good return for a very high volume. Ironman is fine but I can complete this with 35 min/day for 25 days/month. If there was another level there it would be really great. Also checking the rake races on PS, the Full tilt one is incredibly hard, probably unachievable on NL100 even with the next month increased payout.

Off course I'm aware it could be really hard to put decent volume with SSS on a site with much less traffic, but if someone can reccomend a site with nice traffic, solid software (for multitabling) and a good bonus scheme, I would probably try it.

A quick bakroll update and I'm done.

BR: 1970$
Cashed out 500$

Originally posted by RahXephon1
29.9.2009
If I was a conspiracy theory man, I would say that FT is screwing me since I made my first withdraw. That also means that my winrate is just 0,40 bb/100 over 50k hands.

Yep, happened to me the same, when i cashed out for the first time, it is a doom switch they put on you :f_cool:..:)kidding, varinace hit you, that is it, you have to live with it...i think you will recover, also try to play when there is more traffic and more fishes, i saw you playing in sunday morning around 11AM, in that time traffic is low and lot of regulars, also i was -EV in that time, i shouldnt play in that time

Originally posted by RahXephon1
Off course I'm aware it could be really hard to put decent volume with SSS on a site with much less traffic, but if someone can reccomend a site with nice traffic, solid software (for multitabling) and a good bonus scheme, I would probably try it.

If you are clearing the bonus try on Everest it is easy or Cake, but traffic is much lover then on FT, also try Pokerstars, traffic is huge and also bonus is easy to clear and they have great reward programm.

Hey, RahXephon1!

I am from Slovenia too and i play SSS on NL50, currently on PokerStars. I've been playing online poker for about a year, but i am not running that hot as you are. Congrats!

I'd really like to have a sweat session with you. Maybe i'll find my leaks and some of yours too.

Good luck!

Sure rockeye, just get me at skype or msn

andrej.rizner@gmail.com

1.10.2009

Time for the September graph. Last ten days I feel I'm at a standstill but when I'm looking at the month overall I have to be happy since it was my first month on NL100. Just to repeat myself again this month would be amazing.

My overall winnings after the rakeback are 1.173$ , which after 70 hours of play means my hourly rate is 16,7$.

Bankroll now is 2.043,15$
Withdraw alltogether 500$

Cya in october guys!

Nice graph/blog

2.10.2009

Yesterday I played 2,5k hands and in the end I finished at around -30$. 150$ under EV again. It feels so useless after that, like trowing all those hours out of the window. I think I need a winning week like water, as the last 15 days are really getting on my nerves, It's always one green session, one red session.

I'm thinking about shortening them, but since I felt pretty OK while playing, I don't know if that's the right answer. Volume is as important as everything else, specially for negating variance a little.

Another thing I feel is, that my game is stagnating a little. Maybe this is the mechanical side of SSS. I'm in no means an expert, but some parts are becoming second nature to me. Also I'm still very unsatisfied about my behavior in blinds battles.

I feel I'm loosing loads of money against the loose players, when I'm stealing and when I'm defending. It's so unsolvable for me. Maybe playing less tables and taking careful notes on regulars would do the trick.

Enough of my rantings, I will reread the steals/resteals article now, it should do me more good than pointless whining.