+1 for the good guys! Maybe you'll need a tow rope for the other side of that graph. 
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Well I am definitely on an MTT binge atm... played a whole bunch more today... nothing too exciting... I`m still playing quite conservative with my BI, I still feel I am really learning so so much, so I prefer to keep my BRM kinda nitty... it`s not so much about the money, it`s about the skillz...
Things I am working on... 3-betting... I am looking for better spots to 3-bet a bit lighter... it`s interesting cos at the lower limits some players just don`t fold preflop, even if they have total crap, while some do... I think as a general rule, the better the player, the more likely they are to fold, but knowing where and when they open wide is NB... there are so many variables that it makes for very interesting gameplay, but it is such an awesome tool to have that I will continue to study it...
There are all sorts of other areas-situations that crop up from time to time I am enjoying building up my experience...
Thanks everyone... it has been nice... also I am really motivated to work on my MTT game... have been putting a lot of thought into a number of situations and also read a lot of the NL articles... I am thinking that when I have limited time I may dabble in some NL cgs to work on some stuff... mainly post flop play for the early stages... I think I will play NL SH to work on this... and I want to look at picking spots to 3-bet a bit lighter, so I may play FR for this... It's not really about winrate or making $$s here so I'll probably be looking to play only a few tables and really think things through and look to work a table and accumulate chips as I would do in an MTT... although not exactly the same I feel it'll be good practice in shorter time spans as I feel my ICM play is pretty solid... anyway that's just my thinking for now...
goodluck man ur doing well now!
do u mind telling me how long it took before the $50 went into ur titanpoker account?
im so anxious and impatient!
Hey markiepoop
Tx a lot... it took about 2 days for it to get in the account... be patient, it'll work out... it's a good chance to get as much theory in as possible!
Anyway, played a session of BSS NL50 this morning... was interesting... ran KK into AA and got stacked... also created a couple interesting 3-bet situations, one where I made a clear mistake on the turn, but lesson learned... anyway decided to go down to NL25 to get the confidence up a bit... played a short session there this PM and it went pretty well... found a couple 3-bet spots which worked out quite nicely... although it is pretty tricky with all the short stacks... anyway, good thinking excercise... It feels quite natural playing the cash game, although I haven't really played it much at all... I may just keep this as another option when I feel like mixing things up...
The next 2 weeks will probably involve a lotta learning, MTTs, mixing it up and having fun, cos after that I am on holiday!
Last night I was just reflecting a bit on what has been accomplished... I have experienced a couple downswing of $1K+, but still I have managed to send myself to South Africa twice... I have helped out with household stuff when it was needed, I have got the money together to buy the mrs a very nice diamond ring, and I still have a healthy roll left over... I have gone through a lotta downs, but have always recovered, and as I move into winding down this year pokerwise, my focus moving forward is quality, development and being the best poker player I can be.
When I think about it I am still a new player. I have been playing for less than 1.5 years and I feel satisfied that I have been able to achieve these things merely sitting on a laptop and playing cards... it's kinda surreal when I think about it... but pretty damn cool...
Anyway, enough rambling, I am going to a concert soon... This one should be awesome!
Well, playing poker for the sake of playing poker is pretty cool I have to say... played some mtts, played some bss, played some more 180 mans... nothing too exciting anywhere, but it's all good... I am becoming less worried about short term results and swings, cos I believe, really believe the long term potential, and my focus is on learning and playing well, so looking for spots to learn and thinking about things rather than worrying about what cards hit are way different... I really am not playing many tables atm... it's amazing to see the difference... I like thinking more, and I don't really care if I am sacrificing overall winrate and $/hour... it's just so much more fun atm...
I'm kinda enjoying cash games atm... last couple days I have started off playing MTTs... 180mans and up and played them for a large chunk of the day... and then when all of them are done, particularly when I feel like playing some more I have been playing some bss nl25... now I have to say that I am debating with myself about playing more nl50... arguments for - I am very very very comfortably rolled for nl50, I am feeling very confident ATM and well it's more attractive... arguments against - I have just started cg's and I think there is value in putting in a few 1000 hands to get the feel for things, 2 I am playing emotion free poker at nl25 which I may sacrifice with more $$ on the line... it doesn't yet feel like I am uber rolled for it cos my roll sits in 3 locations and I think this impacts on the psychological side... but whatever I like this new weapon I am developing... I think it could really help me develop into a very well-rounded player as I hope to really challenge higher limits in 2010... so I guess laying a solid foundation and being patient has it's merits... OK, that's enough for me for now...
Originally posted by NickParkes
so I guess laying a solid foundation and being patient has it's merits.
♠_thumbsup: IMO.
OK... been cruising quite nicely, not really following my br development, cos well with MTTs I start each day expecting to lose most, if not all the games I play... anyway, yesterday I managed a 3rd place in a $12 180 which was decent, but after 3 days of MTT grinding I was getting a bit drained... so I took the afternoon off, chilled... finally watched the whole broadcast of the WSOP final table... sweet...
Played a little bit this morning, switched to NL25 SH... had a good bit of fun... only played 2 tables and watched Eng v Arg as well... will probably stick with SH as I think the experience is fantastic, and popular opinion would have it that NLSH develops a lot of awesome tourney skillz... so I'll be playing a bit more of those games... I think I'll only start thinking about NL50 next year when I am back in the swing of things and I have played a decent amount of NL25...
Anyway, think I will not be playing too much btw now and toosday so, time to get other stuffs sorted out...
That's a nice blog dude. Kind of an inspiration to keep my heard clear and stay focused especially when it comes to short term swings. If you focus on your game to be a longterm winner these swigs shouldn't even scratch the surface.
Tx anstaedig
Haven't played too much recently... played a few MTTs and managed to register another 2nd in a 90 man... I really really wanna win one... I have never one a tournament with more than 45 mans... I get a lot of 2nds and 3rds and frankly it annoys me... and I am pretty confident in my HU game and I do work on it... but, like in the most recent one I lost with AJ v A9 AIPF... and there is nothing you can do about that... so one day that`ll balance... just in larger tourneys the wait is a lot longer...
Anyway I haven`t been able to play tourneys cos I am `on call`so to speak, so I have been working on my NL SH game... working through numerous articles and playing as well... and it has been somewhat brutal today, so I am taking a bit of a break as I felt the beginnings of frustration beginning to creep in...
Anyway, less than a week left of poker for me until christmas, and ofc I am getting into reading and learning more stuff which will no doubt have me itching to come back... anyway, time to relax and see what I feel like doing next...
I'm not running that well atm... but I am experimenting with some new lines of thought in my MTT game... during the midstage I am playing quite well, but I have been card dead a lot and getting into the late stages I am not hitting the board... but it happens, I know... I don't know if the feeling of frustration will ever go away entirely, but I think how we manage it is how we grow as a player... a few more days til I leave... I have to say that I was kinda hoping for at least one more decent run in a tourney before I leave... but I guess wanting it leads to frustration when it doesn't happen... anyway, that's poker...
I figure once a span of a year or more of playing MTTS goes by, and you have taken down your
share of firsts, the frustration won't be as bad because you will know deep down that you are
beating MTTs. Once you have a pile under your belt they will be just like SNGs for you.
Anyhow just writing incase I don't get a chance before you go.
Have a great holiday with the other half, and try not to count everything in outs while you are away ♠_biggrin:
Gl untill you leave.
Tx 897... yeah, you're right, but so much more skill is involved in getting good at MTTs... and it's with that that I am putting myself through the ringer again... when I should be relaxing ofc...
OK, you see I have this desire to improve my MTT skills... Traditionally I have developed as a fairly solid TAG... this comes largely from starting out as a SNG player as that is the natural progression... now I am experimenting with a more LAG style, for a couple reasons... but mainly cos I believe it is more profitable in MTTs, as it can really allow you to accumulate more chips during the early phases of the game... So I am working on this in my NL SH endeavours... This morning I played a short session where I learnt some critical lessons... the hard waya...
After about an hour of work, good reads, nice plays and a steady accumulation I managed to donk it all away breaking probably the most NB rule... don't get involved in large pots with marginal hands... you don't learn without making mistakes... This style takes an extreme amount of discipline and to become a true-LAG I believe is a very gruelling process... but, that is how you develop them skills, so I guess, during this process monitoring mindset is also super NB... anyway, 4 more sleeps til take-off...
Didn't know there was 4 days left, woulda posted later.
Anyhow you should check out the Stox and CR vids you can get them by
signing up for free just by regular play on FT. You remain tracked through
PokerStrategy, you just get their videos if you achieve a certain amount
of points in a month. VERY EASY becasue I scored a month just by playing
FL .5/1 I think for like a week or 2.
Matt Matros has some awsome MTT videos, involving everything right down to
even a $3 KO on Full Tilt.
Grummelers coaching is also an awsome watch but I rarely have the few hours
free to marathon the whole thing.
Also you can try and play the $4.40 180 man on stars. 4 Hours or so,
but from what I have read and keep reading it is a GOLD mine for
not only BR boosting but for mastering key techniques in a MTT even
though technically it is a SNG.
Going to stop typing now before we have to rename the blog to 897's third blog.
Tx 897...
I will keep that in mind for when I come back... I have a decent return on the $11 180man turbos on Stars and now I am playing the $22 180 mans... for exactly that reason... it's great practice...
I watched Grummelers last coaching and I will definitely watch more when I can....
I think when I come back I will be looking to get to the point where I have some decent results to establish me on the $22 level and then I wanna become a reg up to the $55 limits and stay there... during non tourney times I really feel that the best thing for me as a poker player is to develop my NL SH game so I am going to continue there from my current NL25 and upwards... it works cos I think I will follow proper BRM in my Full Tilt account with the NL game and develop it from there... as soon as I have the confidence to move up the limits then I can cos I certainly have the roll for it...
One thing that I am doing is playing well within BRM for all games I am involved in, it's about learning and confidence, and when I feel ready I can move forward... also, with so much newness I know it may take me a while to see some solid results...
OK... tomorrow is my last poker day until christmas, so I have decided and organised and shuffled things around so that I can make it a big day... Tomorrow I am playing tourneys, lots and lots of tourneys... On last big grind and then off to the sun (if it stops raining in Jhb)... so wish me luck for that!
I won't get to play too much today, that's OK, if I do it'll prob be satellites... but in the last couple days I have really been thinking about what I wanna focus on in the new year... I have been toying with a couple ideas, but I really think I wanna develop my cg skills to the point where I can play according to my roll...
So when I come back I will be playing MTTs and NL SH 25 until I beat it and then move up... I will work my way through all of the articles and actively work on my game in the forums... Phase 1 goal is to beat NL100 and get established on MTTs up to the $33 mark... When I reach those goals then I will reevaluate the next steps... because I think by then I should have a fairly solid alround foundation to work on taking my poker to the next level...
If you asked me what I would love to achieve in 2010 as a whole... I would have to say, that by the end of next year I would love to be playing MTTs around the $100 mark... reaching the $200 mark would be super sweet but, well, I wouldn't be disappointed if I didn't quite achieve that, although I know that it is possible, but anything is possible, especially in this game...
Time for me to do some chores, and relax today, cos I am mentally preparing for tomorrow... laters...
Well, with just over 10 hours of poker played today I had fun... there was drama galore, but alas no sickeningly sweet tale of big money before I leave...
The day started with me developing a nice stack early on in a $22 $20K gtd on stars where pocket jacks ran into AQo who hit the river to obliterate my hopes of an early deep run... a couple more tourneys finished ITM, and I also managed to money the 1/4 million on stars... but where hopes were running high were when I made top 500 in the $200Kgtd double deuce on stars only to be eliminated in one of the sickest hands I have ever seen...
No Limit Holdem Tournament
9 Players
Hand Conversion Powered by weaktight.com
The $200K Double Deuce
Stacks:
UTG JJEDWARDS (214k)
UTG+1 rtrorkt (48k)
MP1 TheWonder82 (81k)
MP2 DrGary6 (25k)
MP3 Hero (72k)
CO connman20 (62k)
BTN DirtySouthGib (104k)
SB smyks (19k)
BB pokerproplaya08 (78k)
Blinds: 1.7k/3.4k Ante 400
Pre-Flop: (8.7k, 9 players) Hero is MP3 J♣ J♦
2 folds, TheWonder82 raises to 7.2k, DrGary6 goes all-in 24k,
I am ahead of the reshove range of the short stack with enough FE to make original raiser fold a lot...
Hero goes all-in 72k, 3 folds, pokerproplaya08 goes all-in 77k,
Oh crap, he's been pretty damn solid, I am dead, that's AA/KK for sure
TheWonder82 calls 70k
WTF???????
Flop: Q♦ 8♥ 9♠ (256k, 4 players, 3 all-in)
Turn: 8♠ (256k, 4 players, 3 all-in)
River: 2♦ (256k, 4 players, 3 all-in)
Final Pot: 256k
TheWonder82 shows two pair, Aces and Eights
A♣ A♦
DrGary6 shows two pair, Tens and Eights
10:spade: 10:heart:
Hero shows two pair, Jacks and Eights
J♣ J♦
pokerproplaya08 shows two pair, Kings and Eights
K♥ K♣
TheWonder82 wins 102k (net +25k)
DrGary6 lost 25k
Hero lost 72k
pokerproplaya08 lost 78k
Nice time to get aces... anyway, it was a fantastic day... I feel I played some of the best poker I have ever played, some great call downs, awesom reads, timely bluffs and the odd bit of luck... I have to say, that now I am ready to go... tomorrow we leave, and as much as I will miss playing, I am pretty certain I will come back super hungry...
So, I guess that's it... I was gonna post some graphs, but My samples are still pretty small still for tourneys so they kinda don't mean a lot yet... but I have made about $1600 profit in November which I cannot be upset with... and well I guess that's all folks... see you at christmas 
